A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for armed robbery.

Andrew Farge, of Watlington Grove, Sydenham, was one of four men facing firearm and robbery charges relating to incidents on October 2 and October 4 last year.

Farge pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm or an imitation firearm at the time of committing an offence and with intent to cause fear of violence.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and conspiracy to rob.

At Kingston Crown Court on September 1, Farge was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.

This followed an earlier hearing on June 26.

Thomas Gumble, aged 18, from Tooting; Sheldon Green, aged 18, from West Norwood, and 17-year-old Jonathan Tetteh, also from West Norwood, were also charged with various firearm and robbery offences.

The court heard Farge and three other men were driving around Sutton town centre with two girls in a Fiat Bravo on October 2 last year.

At one point, Tetteh produced a handgun and made threats to one of the girls.

The party drove to an address to buy drugs and discussed robbing it but did not proceed with this.

On October 4, Farge and two other men approached two youths in the Rose Hill area of Sutton.

One youth was robbed at knifepoint of his moped, crash helmet, mobile phone and gold chain.

The other youth was subjected to an attempted robbery at gunpoint.

The men later robbed a 19-year-old man of his mobile phone and a gold chain.

During their inquiries, police officers searched a number of premises.

They recovered videotapes showing Farge and the others posing with the weapons.

Investigating officer Detective Superintendent John Nolan of Sutton CID said: "These defendants had access to genuine firearms and ammunition.

"I am in no doubt they had the capacity to use such weapons.

"I feel the court has shown how seriously it takes the use of weapons on our streets."