POLICE have dismissed complaints from the father of an armed robber over the `force' used by officers who arrested his son.

Michael Burke, 28, of Winster Avenue, Stretford, was part of a gang that brandished a Samurai sword and hammer as they tried to smash their way into a jeweller's.

They terrified staff and customers before police, who had been lying in wait after a tip-off, swooped and sprayed three of the gang with CS gas.

On Thursday, at Chester Crown Court, Burke and Marcus Bousquet, 27, of Glastonbury Road, Stretford, were given indeterminate sentences for public protection and told they must serve at least four years.

Burke already has a serious robbery conviction and was described, along with his co-defendants, as having an `appalling record'.

Despite this, his father, Michael Burke senior, criticised his son's sentence as `harsh' and complaining of alleged `injuries' during the arrest.

Mr Burke, 49, from Urmston, said: "Michael and Marcus were full of cuts and bruises.

"They both spent 24 hours in hospital because of their injuries. I don't agree with what they've done, but the force used and the sentence handed down is too harsh."

Philip Wernham, 28, of Groby Street, Stalybridge, was jailed for eight years and Anthony Watson, 22, of Woodbridge Road, Flixton, six years.

Police pounced on the gang at Wilmslow's Mark Worthington jewellers when they attempted to break into the Water Lane shop.

Bousquet - who was carrying the Samurai sword - and Burke kicked at the front door, but staff managed to close the shop's shutters. Bousquet and Burke got back into a waiting car with Watson behind the wheel.

But as the gang tried to escape, they collided with an unmarked police vehicle.

Officers then broke the car's windows with axes before hauling the gang on to the pavement. The armed officers - wearing gas masks - then disabled the trio using CS spray.

The fourth member of the gang, Wernham, who was waiting a mile from the scene in a second getaway vehicle, was also arrested.

Supt Mike Freeman said: "Mr Burke's son is a convicted armed robber who is clearly capable of extreme violence.

"We have arrest strategies to deal with people like this and we make no apology for using an acceptable level of force to take violent people off the streets.

"We have not received a complaint from Mr Burke or his son about the manner of his arrest. If they have a complaint, there is a statutory complaints procedure they can go through."