BROTHERS who terrorised staff with a machete have been jailed for nine years each.
Darren James Liddle,28, and Ryan Anthony Liddle,26, brandished the 2ft long blade at employees in Boots in Field End Road, Ruislip, on October 16, 2007.
The balaclava clad pair,along with two others, accosted staff at 6pm as the store was closing.
PC John Williams, who helped catch the brothers, said: "It was a particularly horrible,violent robbery.To think you are faced with a 2ft long machete is quite frightening with four of them screaming and shouting at you - it's a very frightening experience for anybody."
Blackfriars Crown Court heard how after locking staff in a room, the gang fled the store, which had been ram-raided two days earlier, with £3,800 from the safe.
But the brothers left the machete behind, allowing police to trace them by finger prints left on the weapon.
The two other robbers were never found.
The court heard how the brothers were responsible for a string of non-residential burglaries dating back to their early teens.
The pair,of Old Oak Common Lane,Acton, were found guilty of robbery and sentenced to seven years.
They pleaded guilty to residential burglary and were given a further two years.
PC Williams added: "This was a well planned attack. They targeted it just before the store was closing to get the maximum amount of money. They were just foolish enough to leave the machete behind."
