A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to a minimum of 40 months in prison for committing a series a robberies on the rail network.

Leon Nangle, from Walthamstow, targeted other young men aged 15 to 25 on the line between Harlow Town and Bishops Stortford between March and June last year.

First he engaged them in conversation, then threatened them sometimes with a knife. He stole cash, mobile phones and music players.

He was jailed this week at Chelmsford Crown Court for four robberies.

No fixed term was set, but the court decided that he should serve a minimum of 40 months before he could appear before a parole board.

DC Graeme Knox of British Transport Police East London Robbery Squad said: "The offences Leon Nangle committed were frightening, completely unprovoked and caused a considerable amount of distress to a number of innocent people.

"The sentence send a clear message to people that BTP and the courts do not tolerate any form of violence or threatening behaviour on the railways, and those who do commit offences of this nature will be dealt with extremely seriously."