One of two hooded raiders who targeted a newsagents has been jailed for almost three years.

Mark Steed-Shadbolt, 31, helped steal more than £6,800 worth of cigarettes from Martin's in Trafalgar Parade, Minster, Sheppey.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how the pair, who wore hoods and masks, were seen by witnesses as they carried out the raid on Wednesday, September 21.

Their van's registration plate was reported to police who tried to stop the vehicle as it headed towards Iwade on the A249.

During the 11-mile chase the van was driven at up to 85 mph, on the wrong side of the road, the wrong way around a roundabout and driven at a marked police car, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.

Police tried to stop the van by deliberately driving into it but without success until the two men were forced to stop after turning into Ledger Close, Archers Park, Sittingbourne, which is a dead end.

Judge Oliver Saxby KC told Steed-Shadbolt, who appeared by prison video link, that witnesses had seen events unfold.

He said: "At 11.30pm they realised a break-in was happening and saw a large van parked outside.

"A witness said you were wearing masks and had hoods.

"They saw two men carrying a sack to the van before driving away, almost colliding with another vehicle as they did so."

Steed-Shadbolt, of Latona Road, Peckham, and his pal had kicked in a door to access the cigarettes, causing £1,500 worth of damage.

He had admitted burglary, dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking and was jailed for a total of two years and 10 months and banned from driving for four years and two months.

The raid came within weeks of Steed-Shadbolt, a father-of-one, receiving a 10-month suspended jail sentence for a similar burglary.

PC Alexandra Henderson, of Sittingbourne CID, said: "Steed-Shadbolt targeted a local business and caused considerable damage to gain entry to the premises. He then showed no regard for the potential injury he could have caused other drivers while fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

"This type of crime can have a significant impact on a store’s ability to continue operating and causes considerable concern amongst the local community. It is entirely appropriate that he is now serving a prison sentence."