A GANG of robbers who targeted a jewellers in Taunton have been jailed today (Friday, May 6).

Taunton Crown Court heard that five men burst into Michael Spiers in North Street using a sledgehammer.

They then unsuccessfully tried to smash open a display cabinet of Rolex watches with claw hammers and the sledgehammer before escaping with five Tag Heuer watches valued at £13,200.

They ran off after the manager told them to leave when they scared two female assistants and a worker from the shop next door confronted them.

The five men made off in a Mini they had stolen in London two days before the attack in March before swapping it for another stolen car, a BMW.

Police chased them up the M5 and along the M4 as far as Swindon before the crooks smashed into two other cars.

Two of the robbers were unable to get out of the BMW due to injuries, but the other three ran off before being caught by police with dogs.

In court today, Reece Francis, 24, of Abbot Road, Poplar, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Charles Johnstone, 27, of no fixed address, Steven Shields, 32, of North West London, and Christopher Gibbs, 33, of Paddington, were jailed for six years as they were already on licence from a previous jail term.

The fifth member of the gang, Louis Kelly, 48, was unable to appear before the judge as he is currently in hospital in Exeter.