TWO men have been jailed after they robbed the Matalan store in Kidderminster whilst carrying an imitation firearm.

Stephen Soley and Dean Buckley pleaded guilty to the robbery, which saw armed police shut down the retail park off Park Butts Ringway in April.

Soley, aged 38, of Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster, and Buckley, aged 45, of no fixed abode, also admitted possession of an imitation firearm, a .177 ball bearing gun, having an offensive weapon (a pickaxe) in a public place, and theft of a pickaxe and a sledgehammer.

The men were jailed for eight years each at Worcester Crown Court last month. They were also ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge each.

Matalan released a statement following the incident, saying the "safety of our colleagues and customers is of paramount importance" and praising "wonderful" staff for how they dealt with the incident.

A spokesperson for Matalan said: "We were saddened and shocked to learn of an incident that took place in our Kidderminster store.

"As a criminal matter that is now under investigation, all questions should be directed to the police for comment.

"The safety of our colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Matalan and our priority remains to support all those involved.

"We are very grateful to our wonderful store colleagues for their professionalism and handling of the situation.”