THREE men have been jailed for kidnapping a man and robbing him of £25,000 worth of property, including a £17,000 watch.

The Crown Court heard how, on April 11, McCauley Doran, Liam Mattinson and Kye Fox, all in their 20s, bundled David Bevan into a car in Bury, threatened him with an iron bar and a knife and robbed him.

Mr Bevan was then kicked out of the car on Lansdowne Road Middleton, with the court hearing how the ordeal had left him anxious and fearful when cars passed him in the street.

Judge Peter Lawton said: "Understandably, Mr Bevan says he's feeling anxious and paranoid when walking down the street and feels scared when cars pull up beside him."

Turning to the three men, all of whom have pleaded guilty, he added: "All three of you are young men with turbulent backgrounds and substantial criminal records, but nothing of this scale before."

The court, sitting on Tuesday September 21, heard from prosecutor Adam White how the three men had abducted Mr Bevan by taking him off the street and forcing him into an Audi.

Doran had threatened him with a metal bar before Fox then did the same with a knife, while Mattinson was driving.

They then took £25,000 worth of property including jewellery and Mr Bevan's £17,000 watch, which had considerable sentimental value to him, before frightening him further by discussing kicking him out of the car as it was moving.

Ultimately he was kicked out of the car as it was stationary and the property was eventually returned to him after the men were arrested.

As mitigation, the court also heard how Doran, aged 24, of Batty Street, Cheetham, Mattinson, aged 25, of Tennyson Avenue, Bury and Fox, 29, of no fixed address, had all endured difficult upbringings but recognised that what they had done was wrong and wishes to turn their lives around.

Defending Mattinson, Gwen Henshaw pointed out that he had not directly engaged in violence and said he hoped to start a new life with his partner and their baby.

Judge Lawton also acknowledged that the robbery and kidnap appeared to have been undertaken on the spur of the moment, without a great deal of prior planning.

However, given the seriousness of the offence, he ultimately decided to sentence them each to four years imprisonment.

In each case the first two years are to be spent in custody while the final two will be served on license.