Cottingham Lazaat hotel raid: armed teenagers jailed

Four teenagers have been jailed after an armed raid at an East Yorkshire hotel left a night porter "terrified".

The gang escaped with just £400 after tying up and threatening the porter at the Lazaat hotel, Cottingham, in June.

Ryan Kell, 18, of Wold View, Brough, was jailed for five years for aggravated burglary.

James Platten, 19, his brother Michael, 17, and Michael Webb, 18, each got four-and-a-half years for conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

All had admitted the offences.

Webb, of Bloomfield Avenue, west Hull, had worked at the hotel and provided inside information, Hull Crown Court was told.

The Platten brothers, of Main Road, Melton, along with Kell, committed the raid wearing homemade balaclavas.

They threatened night porter Gavin Flintoff until he handed over the keys to the safe.

They then tied him up outside and tried to set fire to the hotel before escaping with £400.

Sentencing the teenagers, Judge Jeremy Richardson said: "It almost defies belief that young men from the background you have could commit such a serious crime."

He said they had brought shame upon themselves and their families and the consequences for Mr Flintoff had been significant.

He was so traumatised he had been unable to return to work since his ordeal, the court was told.

After the sentencing, Det Con Mick Dudill, of Humberside Police, said: "Normally your armed robber is a more mature person who has been in trouble with the police before and has previous convictions.

"So for these people to start at this level of criminality is quite astounding."