TWO men who carried out a smash and grab raid on a music shop in Stourport town centre are now behind bars after sentence at Worcester Crown Court.

Their haul was four guitars worth £1,600 from Worley Strings and Things in York Street - and all the instruments were recovered.

The burglars drove at 90mph in a 40mph limit on the edge of Halesowen in a bid to escape before they abandoned their car and were arrested by police, said Richard Franck, prosecuting.

Lee Wood, aged 45, of Thornswaite Close, Rednal, and John Bray, 30, of Middle Meadow Lane, Quinton, pleaded guilty to burglary and other driving offences.

Wood was jailed for three years and seven months and disqualified from driving for two years. Bray was jailed for two years and four months.

Mr Franck said the raid took place in the early hours of September 2 when the large plate glass window of the shop was smashed. The noise alerted neighbours, who alerted police about a silver Audi seen at the scene.

Just over an hour later, the car was seen on the A456 Manor Way and went on a roundabout route for three miles before it was abandoned in White Road.

Wood, who had a long list of previous convictions, also admitted dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and having no insurance or driving licence.

Bray, who had convictions stretching back to 1998, also pleaded guilty to allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle.

Siobhan Collins, for Wood, said he had spent much of the last 24 years in custody which left him institutionalised. He had also been treated for bi-polar disease.

Neil Davies said Bray was remorseful and and had suffered from panic attacks. He had found a job and was thought highly of by his employer but he had decided to enrol on a plumbing course.

Judge Michael Cullum described Wood as a "career burglar" who had been given a suspended prison sentence for burglary on his last court appearance. The raid had caused a great deal of damage to the shop and this would have affected trade.