A WOULD-BE robber dressed in a Halloween mask who told bank staff he had a bomb before fleeing the scene in his underpants has been jailed.

Tom Brambleby was calmly told by 66-year-old bank clerk Denise Tucker to leave the Hazlemere branch of Natwest after handing her a note saying he had a bomb that would detonate in two minutes' time strapped to him.

His actions led to armed police arriving at the scene, with an Aylesbury Crown Court judge telling the 21-year-old he could have been shot at for his "extremely foolish and stupid act".

Judge Francis Sheridan - who jailed Brambleby for 30 months on Wednesday - said he would nominate Mrs Tucker for a High Sheriff's award for bravery for the way she handled the botched robbery.

He said: "If I might say so, good for her for telling you to clear off. I utterly applaud her approach. I entirely commend her and thank her for dealing with you as she did."

The judge added: "What you did was a disgrace. You went into your local bank wearing a mask and camouflage jacket - nobody could have identified you from that and that's why you wore it.

"Firearms officers had to be deployed and you were very lucky you didn't end up getting yourself shot. You may well have paid with your life."

Brambleby, of Roberts Ride, Hazlemere, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at an earlier court hearing following the incident on Friday, July 19.

Daniel Fugallo, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant went up to the counter that was staffed by a 66-year-old lady called Denise Tucker. He handed her a piece of typed paper. It's never been recovered but Mrs Tucker's recollection was the words on it were, 'I have a bomb strapped to my chest which will go off in two minutes, hand me the money'.

"Mrs Tucker refused. She said to the defendant, 'No, go away.' He immediately scrunched up the piece of paper and walked quickly out of the bank.

"A number of witnesses saw the defendant, still in his mask, running from the scene.

"He was stopped not far from the scene. By the time the police stopped him he was wearing only his boxer shorts and a pair of socks. When he was arrested he said he'd been out jogging."

The discarded items of clothing were recovered from nearby woodland, with Brambleby's DNA being found on some of them, the court heard.

Mr Fugallo added: "In a statement Denise Tucker talked about how she felt unaffected at the time but immediately afterwards felt shocked as it dawned on her what just happened."

John Warren, defending, said Brambleby had only planned his robbery attempt earlier that morning and had gone to a bank "literally around the corner from his house".

He told the court the defendant suffered clinical depression and had racked up £8,000 in gambling debts after developing an addiction.

He said: "There is no violence - force is minimal. When Mrs Tucker bravely said 'on your bike', that's exactly what he did.

"His family were facing difficulties and the home was going to be repossessed, which led to him committing this extremely foolish and stupid act. It was one out of desperation."

It was his depression that led to Judge Sheridan slashing a planned three year prison sentence to one of 30 months.

He told the defendant: "You've got to seize the opportunity and get some help while you are in prison. I hope you seize it. You are going back to a good home - don't let them down; take the help you are offered."