A 33-year-old Liss man has been jailed for five years for attacking a cab driver.

Maidstone Crown Court was told that serial offender Stephen Banford-Jones was like an "animal" as he attacked and robbed the cabbie after refusing to pay a fare.

The incident happened at Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent on April 29 last year.

The court was told that Banford-Jones, of Linden Drive, who pleaded guilty to robbery, was with two women at the time.

They were Sarah Rogers, 43, and Rebecca Lee, 32, both from the Isle of Sheppey. They both admitted theft and were jailed for 18 months and eight months respectively.

Prosecutor Patrick Moran told the crown court that Banford-Jones was drunk and on drugs at the time of the incident.

He had climbed into the front of the taxi and grabbed the driver's money bag, which contained £80.

Banford-Jones was then said to have repeatedly punched and kicked the driver in the face and one witness said he had acted like an animal.

When the driver had tried to radio for help he was pushed out of the vehicle and Banford-Jones, who has previous convictions for three offences of robbery, kidnapping, and having an imitation firearm, then knocked him to the floor and stamped on his head.

Police arrived and he tried to headbutt officers before being arrested.

Jailing him, Judge Michael Carroll told Banford-Jones it was a serious example of robbery.

"Your record remains appalling," he said.