Two moped thugs from Islington have been locked up for more than three years after being chased and caught with 17 stolen phones.

Rhys Calendar, of Graham Street and Tyrone Deane, of Sparsholt Road, Stroud Green, were spotted by cops riding a black Piaggio Beverley moped with no plates in Caledonian Road on the morning of September 18.

Officers tried to pull them over but Deane, who was driving, sped off at 60mph, weaving in and out of traffic and narrowly avoiding crashing into other vehicles.

The police helicopter then took over the chase of the two 18-year-olds, both of whom were wearing black helmets.

The moped was eventually abandoned at Wood Green shopping centre and the pair were spotted on CCTV and seen dumping a rucksack later found to have 17 phones in it.

They were arrested at Calendar’s home in Islington.

Deane had already been banned from driving in August last year and also had a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) dating back to 2015, which stopped him from entering the area in Islington where he was spotted on the moped.

Calender had also been given a CBO last year to ban him from being on a moped in a public place.

Calender admitted handling stolen goods, two counts of robbery and 10 counts of theft, as well as breaching his CBO.

Deane admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, two counts of robbery, handling stolen goods, 10 counts of theft and breaching his CBO.

The pair were sentenced to three years and four months in a young offenders’ institution at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

Det Insp Greg Coates of Operation Attrition, which tackles moped-enabled crime in Camden and Islington said:

“I am very pleased with the sentence, which is the result of some excellent operational police work and diligent investigative work to remove these two criminals from the streets of London.

“Those who commit mobile phone thefts and robberies using mopeds are an organised criminal network who increase the fear of crime, endanger themselves and the general public, and cause widespread misery and financial loss.

“They should be under no illusion as to the commitment of my team and the Met as a whole to put an end to their offending.