A "CAREER criminal" who robbed a post office at knifepoint has been jailed for eight years.

Richard Williams, 37, who had been released from a 13-and-a-half-year prison term on licence less than eight months before, entered the Hale End Road post office, Highams Park, on May 23 with an alleged accomplice.

As manager Perminder Dhesi opened the parcel window, Williams dived through, punching Mr Dhesi before producing a knife and stealing cash and foreign currency as two terrified pensioners looked on.

Snaresbrook Crown Court was told that Williams was captured after have-a-go hero Mr Dhesi decided to chase his attackers.

He flagged down a passing car and followed the pair in what he described as a "Hollywood-style" car chase as they drove to the home of the alleged accomplice's former partner in Fulbourne Road, Walthamstow.

Police called by Mr Dhesi discovered Williams hiding under the bed in a house nearby, while the other man was arrested in the street.

Williams, of Palmers Green, denied robbing Mr Dhesi of £5,316 in cash and a quantity of postage stamps, foreign currency and travellers cheques, claiming he was forced to carry out the robbery under duress after running up a string of drug debts with Turkish heroin dealers.

But the jury rejected his claims and found him guilty of robbery.

In mitigation, barrister Tim Hogan told the court that Williams had been imprisoned in 1992 for carrying out a string of similar crimes.

During his time inside he started to take heroin, becoming an addict by the time of his August 2000 release.

Mr Hogan said: "As heroin is expelled from the system very quickly, it has become the drug of choice for prisoners wanting to avoid detection through drug testing.

"When he was released, he left prison with a heroin habit and no fixed address, though he was found a place at bail hostel in Earl's Court."

Judge John Platt called Williams a professional criminal and said the use of heroin explained his crime but did not excuse it.