A 21-YEAR-OLD Dursley man who took part in a raid on North Nibley post office has avoided being sent to jail for the crime.

At Gloucester Crown Court Ashley Harney, of Frederick Thomas Road, admitted burglary of the post office on May 13 last year and was given a six month jail term suspended for 18 months.

Judge Martin Picton also ordered him to do 175 hours' unpaid community work.

Harney was the third person to be sentenced for the burglary, during which more than £600 worth of cigarettes were stolen.

At an earlier hearing Dean Marsden, 23, of Leaside Close, was jailed for 18 months while Tom Wood, 29, of Frederick Thomas Road, got a six month sentence suspended for two years.

Harney appeared in the dock last week with Karis Hall, 23, of Bramble Drive, Cam, who denied taking part in the burglary. He was bailed to stand trial in the week commencing March 1.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said that at about 12.15am on May 13 neighbours of the post office heard the door being forced open and raised the alarm.

They saw three men, all in hooded tops, going in and then leave a few minutes later carrying boxes of cigarettes under their arms.

Police arriving at the scene were confronted by the gang's getaway car in the single track lane and forced it to stop.

The four men inside were arrested and gave 'no comment' interviews at the police station.

From the dock, Harney told the court: "I have just started a job and a college course. I am trying to sort myself out."

The court heard he had only one previous conviction when he was jailed for 30 months for an assault.

Passing sentence on Harney Judge Picton told him: "I am impressed by the progress you have made since serving your time in custody. But you got yourself involved in a serious burglary.

"Going off and doing a post office and causing all sorts of problems for the community - post offices are really important to the communities they serve and this sort of thing is very damaging."