MASKED robbers who carried out a 'horrific' knife-point raid at a supermarket and 'manhandled' terrified teenagers have been jailed for more than 25 years.

Ashleigh Evans, Reece Davis and Andrew Fellows appeared over videolink from HMP Hewell and were jailed for eight and a half years each at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.

The trio made off with nearly £6,000 from the tills and the safe of the Co-op in Davis Road, Evesham during the robbery on Sunday, July 7 last year.

One of the gang had phoned up in advance to check when the store was closing and they arrived shortly before 10pm before staff had cashed up.

Evans alone admitted another robbery in the town after takeaway manager Paul Tsang of Ding Ho Chinese was attacked two days before the Co-op raid.

This charge will lie on file in respect of Davis who had also been accused of being involved in that robbery (although the CPS did not proceed with the prosecution in his case).

Mr Tsang was leaving work at 11.30pm when he was attacked by two men including Evans, their faces hidden by scarves, thrown to the ground and beaten (either punched or kicked) as he lay there, suffering two broken ribs and a detached collarbone as they robbed him of £600 in takings.

Russell Pyne, prosecuting, said staff and customers were herded into a caged area of the Co-op, among them three 15-year-old boys as Evans wielded a knife which one of them believed was a machete.

One of the boys suffered a deep scratch to his back as he was 'manhandled' by Evans which he believed was caused by the blade.

"He says he was frightened and thought Evans might stab him" said Mr Pyne.

The robbers demanded cash from the office and emptied the cash from the safe, placing a total of £5,953 into a bin in order to carry it as well as stealing £56 worth of savings stamps.

Victim impact statements were read out. The team leader in the Co-op was prescribed medication for anxiety, saying: "I have never had it this bad."

He suffered sleepless nights, had to have two weeks off work and could not go into the kitchen cutlery drawer because of all the knives.

The sales assistant who had been working on the tills on the night of the robbery said she was 'a nervous wreck' for the first week and did not want to leave her home.

"During the robbery all I could think about was whether I was going to see my son again. It's always in my head that it could happen again," she said.

She is now thinking about leaving retail altogether because this was the second time she had been the victim of a robbery.

Another worker, grabbed by one of the robbers, said he was worried about running into the robbers again and was affected when anyone approached him from behind.

One of the boys in the shop said he was anxious now about going out in Evesham after dark, describing the robbers as 'dangerous people'.

Mr Tsang now closes his Chinese restaurant early because of the fear of being left alone with takings 25 per cent down as a result.

He had to sleep on his back for two months because of the injuries to his ribs and considered selling his business but could not because he would still be liable for the rent and had a family to support.

The robbers, who took the till drawers with them, returned to Oak Tree Close in Evesham and emptied the contents of the bin, sharing the proceeds of the robbery between them.

The court heard how Evans and Davis spent their 'ill-gotten gains' on designer clothes from Bicester Village, Evans spending £715 and Evans £272.

The savings stamps were given to Latoria Lunnon who concealed them inside her bra.

During a warrant executed on Monday, July 8 last year weapons and other evidence was seized as part of the investigation.

Evans's fingerprints were later found on the bin which had contained the stolen cash. Lunnon, 20, of Hipton Hill, Lenchwick, admitted concealing criminal property stolen during the robbery and was sentenced late last year to a 12 month community order. This will include 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Evans, 31, of Friar Park Road, Wednesbury had a string of previous convictions, committing 12 robberies in the span of six weeks in the spring of 2014 in the Black Country.

Davis, 25, of Boscobel Avenue, Tipton had no previous convictions for robbery. Fellows, 54, of Cypress Road, Walsall had a robbery conviction from 2004 and 2013 and convictions for burglary and possession of knives. Fellows, recruited by the other two to make up the numbers, had denied the Co-op robbery but was convicted by a jury following a trial at Hereford Crown Court.

Recorder Rachel Brand QC said the victims had been 'significantly traumatised' by the robbery with Mr Tsang now 'afraid to be alone in his own shop'.

She said even if one of the 15-year-old boys in the Co-op had not been cut with the knife, 'at the very least he was manhandled and threatened with a knife and did receive an injury in some way'.

Recorder Brand said the robbery of the Co-op was professional and planned.

She jailed all three defendants for eight and a half years. However, in the case of Evans she handed him an extended sentence. He carried out the robberies within a week of his release from prison and while on licence.

"It's perfectly clear you are a dangerous offender" she said.

The extended sentence means an extended licence period of four years.

Evans must serve at least two thirds of his eight and a half year sentence before he is considered for release by the Parole Board.

His co-defendants will only serve half of the eight and half years and the remaining half on licence.

Although the sentences were concurrent for both robberies they will be served consecutively to the sentence Evans is already serving.

Worcester CID, Detective Inspector Tony Garner said: “These men subjected innocent people who worked in the local supermarket to a horrific ordeal.

“Evans, Fellows and Davis planned and entered the Co-op store with a knife forcing staff to open the till and safe.”

“The incidents have had a significant and lasting impact on the victims and their families. Businesses have been affected and the community shaken by the incident. The victims have shown great bravery in supporting this investigation and ensuring this conviction."