A man has been jailed for two and a half years after robbing a Tesco store in Andover as part of a spree of robberies and burglaries.

Tomas David Lloyd, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (May 24) after pleading guilty on April 16 to robbing the Tesco Express on Weyhill Road of £30 on March 15 2021.

The following day, the 29-year-old also attempted to rob a Co-Op in Botley Road, Romsey, but was grabbed by staff as he tried to snatch money from the till. Other staff members managed to apprehend Lloyd as he tried to run from the store, and detained him until police arrived.

A further four robberies and two burglaries committed by Lloyd were taken into consideration by the Judge when passing sentence.

Following the sentencing Detective Sergeant Chris Whittington said: “This is a good result for the community.

“I hope this brings some closure to those affected by his offending, and reassures the public that we are committed to tackling those who cause the most harm to our communities and bring them to justice.”