It wasnt exactly the perfect crime.

Sure, Christopher Walker managed to get away with robbing a security guard of £25,000.

But police didnt exactly have to turn the town upside down to find him: his hideaway was his home.

Walker, 19, was seen running into his property opposite the bank after attacking the guard with a stick outside Lloyds bank in Birminghams Lea Village.

The court heard it was an incompetent spur-of-the-moment robbery. Walker, of Birmingham, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting robbery on October 22.

What makes this so serious is the significant amount of money involved, the use of a disguise and the use of a weapon to hit a security guard who is entitled to go about his work without fear of attack, judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him. But she added: I accept you are sorry and that it was not planned.

Birmingham Crown Court was told Walker was caught by police within minutes because he was seen running into his home after attacking the cash-in-transit security guard with a stick. He had just been made redundant from his job as a council g**** cutter and was short of cash.

All of the cash was recovered from the loft space of Walkers next-door neighbour a house that he had a key for.

Raglan Ashton, defending, said: Although serious, this robbery was somewhat incompetent. He is appalled by his actions and he has shown genuine remorse.

He did not come armed with a weapon, he picked up a stick. He was not working and he simply had no money.