Two youths who robbed a convenience store armed with a large knife have been jailed.

A 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reason, and his 20-year-old Derron Brown, 20, of Harewood Gardens, South Croydon, robbed a Londis Shop in Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead on January 31.

The pair who were both wearing masks entered the shop at about 7pm and used the knife to threaten the member of staff in the store and demand money from till, before fleeing with alcohol including a bottle of vodka and champagne.

Croydon Crown Court heard the police were called and their initial investigations revealed one of the suspects, Brown, had ordered a minicab to take him to the shop just prior to the committing the robbery.

Officers managed to trace the phone used to book the cab and Brown was located and arrested at his home address, where they seized the phone used to book the minicab and the clothing he was wearing during the robbery, as seen on the store's CCTV footage.

Further research into Brown's associates led officers to discover Brown had attended the shop the day before with the 17-year-old male.

CCTV images from the shop showed they were paying particular attention to the cash register.

The 17-year-old was identified and arrested at his home in Lewisham on February 1, where he was found hiding in the loft.

His mobile phone and a large knife were seized and analysis of the phone showed messages had been received regarding Brown's arrest.

Photos were also found on the phone showing the 17-year-old holding large amounts of cash, taken a short while after the robbery.

The pair both pleaded guilty to robbery when they appeared in court. The teenager was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and Brown was jailed for 42 months.

Detective Constable Amy Mannakee from Croydon police said: "This robbery had a serious impact on both the shop worker, who was threatened with the knife and also on the local community.

"They can now be reassured the culprits have been caught and will be behind bars for a long time."