Three brothers caused an affray at a St Albans Co-op after one of them had his coat ripped when he was stopped for shoplifting.

Corey Jarrett, 18, was angry about the damage caused when he was ejected by staff at the store in Camp Road.

He returned later that day with his elder brothers, Ryan, aged 24, and Kurtis, 22. The three intimidated and scared the manager who was punched, St Albans Crown Court heard on Thursday.

The brothers, who all live in Tassell Hall, Redbourn, were all due to stand trial, but changed their plea to guilty of affray on February 3 last year.

Warwick Aleeson, defending Corey Jarrett, said: "The defendant thought he had been wronged. He returned home and showed his brothers the jacket, which had been ripped.

"They went there to remonstrate with the shopkeeper to try to get him to pay for repairs. The manager picked up a bottle and they were seen on CCTV bundling him down in an attempt to disarm him."

Mr Aleeson and Erin Haupt, for the two older brothers, asked for credit for their guilty pleas.

Judge John Plumstead told Corey Jarrett: "You were thought to be a shoplifter and were ejected from the shop with some force.

"You were upset and went and got your brothers to use violence to scare and intimidate. This behaviour was simply unacceptable. Those who use and run shops are entitled not to put up with hooligan behaviour."

He gave Corey a three month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered him to complete 100 hours' unpaid work. The other two brothers received a two month jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

They must all abide by a curfew between 11pm and 4am on Fridays and Saturday and not go within 100 yards of the parade of shops in Camp Road for the next year.

The judge told all three: "I hope to never see you again."