Teenagers who made off with a young woman’s handbag have been jailed for over two years each.

The 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threatened the 24-year-old woman with a knife in St Andrews Road, Walthamstow, late last year, and taking her handbag.

One has been imprisoned for 28 months while the other was sentenced to two-and-a-half years after appearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court last week.

Detective Constable Raymond Anderson, leading the investigation, said: “This is a great result with two robbers now off the streets and in prison.

“The conviction of these individuals reaffirms our commitment to bring offenders to justice and protect our community."

At around midnight on November 6 last year the woman was walking along BlackhorseRoad when she noticed two men walking towards her.

Both men initially walked past her before one blocked her path while the other produced a knife and shouted ‘Give it to me’ while pointing to her handbag.

Police stopped one of the suspects in Church Road, Walthamstow, in a vehicle that was stolen from an address in Larkswood Road, Chingford.

The second teenager escpaed from the vehicle and was caught half an hour later in St Andrews Road, denying all knowledge of the attack.

Officers were able to link the two suspects together and forensics linked them both to the car.