TWO Trafford men who were part of a 10-strong gang who committed a string of robberies across Greater Manchester have been jailed for a total of 32 years.

Christopher Ryder, 30, of Gypsy Moth Close, Timperley, and Caine Williams, 26, of Marple Road West, Sale, were sentenced last week for their part in a year-long crime spree.

Between June 2015 and June 2016, police received numerous reports of robberies at jewellery shops, supermarkets and houses with similar circumstances.

In June 2015, police received a report that £76,000 was stolen in a robbery at Aldi in Bolton and a member of the public was attacked with a machete.

Often, the group responsible would brandish weapons while carrying out their robberies and sometimes, dressed in a disguise to dupe the unsuspecting victims.

Officers pieced together evidence and results from months of enquiries to identify an organised crime group who in total benefitted from £150,000 in cash and £100,000 worth of jewellery.

Shortly before 1.50pm on Sunday June 12 2016, two men got out of a black BMW 5 series and smashed the windows of Royal Jewellers on Wilmslow Road, Manchester, using a sledgehammer and a street grid.

They reached inside the window and stole jewellery, before fleeing in a stolen BMW in the direction of Platt Lane.

At around 11.45am on Wednesday June 15 2016, officers from GMP’s Tactical Firearms Unit stopped a Land Rover on Platt Lane in Moss Side and a number of men were arrested.

On Friday May 5 2017, the final of 10 men were sentenced for robberies at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, including Ryder, who was handed a 22-year prison sentence, and Williams, who was jailed for 10 years.

Detective Constable Matthew Whittaker, of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “We can finally say these men are off the streets of Greater Manchester and unable to cause any more damage or detriment to the community for their own selfish gratification.

“We will continue to dismantle organised crime groups and make it impossible for those who make a living from committing crimes to operate, no matter how versed in police tactics they believe themselves to be.

“Thanks to information from people in the community and our partners, we can make sure we are one step ahead of criminals like these and bring them to justice.”