Bungling bank robber tried to raid Lloyds armed only with a betting slip

Jason Philips scribbled a warning on the back of the piece of paper in which he claimed to have a nail bomb and gun, a judge heard.

The 35-year-old passed the note over the front counter to a member of staff at Lloyds Bank in High Street, Sedgley, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Philips waited until there were no other customers at 3.15pm on June 16 before making his move.

But it backfired when the quick-thinking teller showed the message to the other cashiers who all followed a security drill, stood up and walked into a rear office, leaving the hapless robber alone and empty-handed.

Miss Sally Hancox, prosecuting, said: "He never made eye contact with the cashier. He just gave her a betting slip on which he had written 'You have got ten seconds. Be discreet and place the money in the bag. I have a nail bomb and a gun. My life has no value, so make no mistake.'

"She quickly alerted colleagues by showing them the note. They all got up and left."

"She quickly moved into a security drill, alerting colleagues on the front counter as to what was going on by showing them the content of the note. They all got up from their chairs and left in a swift and professional way."

Philips, who had pushed a carrier bag into the cash tray and was 'off his head' on cocaine, was forced to turn on his heel and leave.

Police recognised the culprit, who had previous convictions involving 172 offences, on CCTV and he was arrested in Kidderminster on July 20.

His fingerprints were on the betting slip and bag he left behind.

Mr Gareth Morley, defending, said: "He accepts that his behaviour caused shock, distress and fear but it was doomed to fail. His criminal record made arrest inevitable even if he had got away with some money."

Philips, from Hunton Road, Erdington, had been jailed in 2012 for robberies on supermarkets in Wombourne, Wordsley and Sedgley during which £320 was taken from tills.

He asked for 13 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Yesterday he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and was sent to prison for three years four months by Judge James Burbidge QC who said in praise of the cashier: "She was not to know that he did not have the weapons mentioned in the note and showed commendable composure."