A young barman who nicked £480 from his employers at The Flower Pot in Tottenham and embarked on a spending spree to “start a new life” was jailed for two weeks.

The 24-year-old had already been jailed for three months for larceny when a letter was found in his home detailing the theft.

n A brave Pc was commended in court for tackling a man who held up a Post Office with a rifle. Robert Berry, married with two children, vaulted over the counter to disarm the stick-up man.

“As I got near him there was a click,” he told the Old Bailey. “The accused then started to fumble with the bolt and I jumped over the Post Office counter and caught hold of the rifle.”

n A mother refused to post bail for her 15-year-old son who stole money from the gas meter at their home, because she feared he would “go away”. The boy was therefore remanded in custody for a fortnight and left the court in tears.