A TAXI driver who helped police catch a knife-wielding post office robber and his accomplice has been commended for his actions.

Stuart Convery, 59, from Chester, followed the two men in his cab after they had stolen cash from Christleton Post Office and alerted police to their whereabouts.

Mr Convery, along with nearby resident Alan Smith who assisted officers with descriptions, were awarded £300 for helping to put the duo behind bars.

At Chester Crown Court last week, Mark Bruce, 23, was jailed for two years and 19-year-old Charlie Clark was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a Young Offenders Institution.

Both men, of Tower Road in Chester, were arrested near the canal in Christleton and pleaded guilty to carrying out the robbery on March 23 last year.

Bruce, who entered the village post office with his face masked and armed with a carving knife, threatened the female worker behind the counter and stole £95 before fleeing the scene with Clark, who had been waiting outside.

Mr Convery, who was a member of the Territorial Army for more than 20 years, said: “I followed them in the car. I saw them go to ground at wasteland off Hawthorn Road and told the police.

“I took them round and the plane came over. Unbeknown to us they had run down by the side of the canal.”

Although he was unaware that the men had a knife, Mr Convery says it wouldn’t have stopped him from following them.

He added: “I always say ‘for evil to succeed all it takes is for good men to do nothing’.

“The £300 came as a bit of a shock, I couldn’t believe it. The judge said without my evidence this would never have come to court.”

Detective Constable Rhys Nevett said: “Clark and Bruce targeted a rural post office thinking it would be an easy way to make some money.

“They were not concerned about the effects of their actions on the post office staff. The sentences reflect the serious nature of what they did.

“The two men commended by the judge kept these offenders in view until officers arrived. We would like to thank them for their public-spirited action.”