THREE men have been jailed after trying to break into a cash machine and escaping in a high-speed pursuit.

Carl Long, 32, from Mortimer near Reading, Sean Price, 40, of Brackstone Close, Caversham, Reading, and Frenny Green, 43, of Royal Avenue, Calcot, Reading, were all handed prison sentences yesterday.

They admitted attempting to steal about £39,000 in cash from the machine at the Moulsford Service Station, in Reading Road, Moulsford, on October 4 last year.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said the defendants were captured on CCTV arriving in a Volvo at around 12.30am and wearing balaclavas and gloves.

She told a judge they used iron bars and a metal chain to pull the cash machine out of the wall, but only managed to cause around £6,000 of damage.

Miss Olliver said they left the scene, without any cash, at around 12.45am and were chased by a police car, which had been alerted after they were caught on CCTV.

They lost the officers by driving at 80mph south down Halfpenny Lane and Shortlands Hill, but were picked up again by a police helicopter in Goring.

She added that the three men were then quickly arrested after trying to escape on foot. In mitigation three defence barristers said their clients had fallen on hard financial times.

Judge Patrick Eccles handed Green and Long 32 months in prison each, but 28 months for Price, who he said had acted as a “lookout”.