AN ARMED robber who held up a village Post Office has been jailed for three years and eight months.

Matthew Stepp brandished a knife at a woman worker when he carried out the raid in Aldbourne last month.

When the store's boss, who hadn't realised what had happened and thought he may be a shoplifter, gave chase he was threatened with the blade.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the 37-year-old/(dob 19 Dec) went into the village store just after 4pm on November 14.

As he marched into the sub Post Office the woman looked up to see he had a knife in one hand and a bag in the other and he asked her for everything from the till.

"She had almost, at the beginning, a sense of incredulity. When he asked for everything she said 'really?': he said 'yes'," Mr Meeke said.

When she realised he was serious and had a kitchen knife, with what looked like a five-inch blade, she started to hand over the cash.

He took all the notes and then asked if there was any more under the till tray, even leaning over himself to lift it to see.

Mr Meeke said Stepp took in the region of £500, which he stuffed in his bag as he fled, about a minute after arriving.

As he was leaving manager Mark Rendell came out of the back of the shop, and believing he was an awkward customer or shop lifter, followed him into the street.

He chased after him and was almost within touching distance when Stepp turned with the knife in his hand and told him to back off.

The robber walked towards the manager, who was unaware he was armed, and again said 'back off, back off' in an aggressive way.

Mr Rendell's wife then came out and told her husband to come back inside. Stepp ran off and the police were called.

The following day he was stopped as he drove his BMW along Thamesdown Drive in Swindon and when arrested was found to have crack cocaine in his ashtray.

When he was questioned he accepted committing the robbery, saying he first went in and changed his mind, buying a packet of crisps, then went through with it.

He said he had been sleeping in his car and used the money to pay off drug debts and buy the cocaine he was found with.

Stepp, of no fixed abode, admitted robbery, having a bladed article and possessing drugs. A month earlier he had been given a caution for having a knife.

Francesca Anderson, defending, said police were on the lookout for him as he had told his doctor that he was thinking of carrying out a robbery.

At the time he was in the grip of addiction and was finding it hard to get the help he felt he needed, she said.

He had been living in his car for a number of weeks after his wife threw him out and he lost his job and was sorry for the distress he caused the workers

In a letter of apology he had written she said he admitted 'it was utterly deplorable what he has done, it was disgusting'.

Jailing him, Judge Jason Taylor QC said "You had a caution two months ago for having a knife in public and you chose to have one again."