TWO young men involved in a knifepoint robbery in a park are now behind bars.

Elliot Reid and Joshua Singh-Banham were both sentenced to three and a half years custody for the robbery in Tyldesley and 22-year-old Reid received an extra two and a half years to run consecutively for a burglary.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that mid-evening on September 5 last year the two men, accompanied by an unidentified man, approached five youths sitting in a shelter in Tyldesley Park on Astley Street.

One of the victims, who recognised Singh-Banham from primary school, overheard a phone call about robbing them and the third man walked off but returned shortly afterwards armed with a knife.

He pointed it at the face of one of the group and demanded he hand over his iPad, which he did. The robber then threatened the other victims and demanded their belongings and the frightened youngsters handed over their mobile phones, said Desmond Lennon, prosecuting.

Reid and Singh-Banham were arrested on September 6 and 13 days later, while on bail, Reid broke into the home of a retired couple in Leaconsfield Drive, Worsley, Salford.

The householder dozed off in early evening and awoke to find that Reid had broken in through the integral garage and had also broken into his car. The intruder made off with property worth £12,500 including a safe, three bracelets worth almost £10,000, mobile phones, his uncle's war medals and his stamp collection.

After Reid was arrested he helped police get back the medals which were of great sentimental value, said Mr Lennon.

The court heard that Reid has previous convictions including three for domestic burglaries and was on licence from the last one at the time of the new offences.

Reid, of Graymar Road, Little Hulton, and Singh-Banham, aged 19, of Leigh Road, Boothstown, both pleaded guilty to robbery and Reid also admitted the burglary.