Bournemouth man Steven Mark Henbest, 37, and Paul David Henbest, 39, from Eastleigh, were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on 29 October after admitting offences of robbery and possession of a bladed article.

At around 2.20pm on 27 August 2020, Dorset Police received an alert from an attack alarm sounding at Barclays Bank in Christchurch Road.

It was subsequently reported by a staff member that there had been a knifepoint robbery and officers arrived on scene within minutes.

The brothers entered the bank and when they were approached by a member of staff, one of them pulled out a knife – described as being around seven or eight inches long. One was heard to say, “We’re only here for the money.”

The pair approached a member of staff at the till and handed over a carrier bag, telling them to put all the cash inside. The staff member picked up an envelope containing around £160 in bank notes and gave it to the men. When they demanded more she said the till was locked.

The defendants, who were wearing gloves and face masks, left the bank and were seen to get into a black BMW parked in a disabled bay in Yelverton Road and had its number plate covered.

A short time later a report was received from a member of the public who had seen a black BMW driving at speed in the area of Meyrick Park with its number plates covered.

Two men were seen to get out of the vehicle and one of them walked over to some bushes. Shortly afterwards they were picked up by a taxi and the BMW was left at the scene.

Officers seized the BMW. Subsequent enquiries led them to the registered address of the car. The defendants were located at the property and arrested at around 3.15pm.

Following searches of the bushes at Meyrick Park, a knife was recovered.

A 27-year-old Bournemouth woman was also arrested in connection with the incident and was subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. However, the case against her was later withdrawn.

Detective Constable Phillip Riggs, of Bournemouth CID, said, “This must have been a frightening experience for the bank staff who were just doing their jobs.

“I am grateful to all the members of the public who contacted us with vital information that helped us identify these offenders and bring them before the court to face justice.

“This was a fast-moving investigation and thanks to the information received and the rapid response from officers, we were able to locate and detain the men responsible within an hour of the robbery.”