A New Cross thug who broke a trainspotting pensioner's jaw and stole his £2,000 camera has been jailed.

Terrance Hamston, 45, of New Cross Road, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the unprovoked attack in which he "repeatedly punched, kicked and kneed" the victim in the head.

The 69-year-old railway enthusiast was on the bridge at St Johns railway station on May 16 taking photographs of trains and the track.

At about 2pm Hamston came past and spoke to him briefly before walking away.

He then returned a few minutes later and approached the victim from behind.

He attacked the man, leaving him with a broken jaw, and stole his camera.

A member of the public came to the aid of the victim and British Transport Police (BTP) were called.

BTP officers launched an investigation and within two days identified and arrested Hamston.

Forensics work found the victim’s blood on Hamston’s trousers and shoe, and his fingerprints were on the stolen camera when it was tracked down.

Hamston was yesterday (August 1) sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court for robbery and GBH.

Detective Inspector Simon Collins, from the BTP, said: “The sentencing of Hamston for this nasty robbery against an innocent 69-year-old man is the result of some fantastic work by BTP local officers.

"Hamston is a dangerous and violent man and I am pleased that he is now behind bars.”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Neil Lane said: “With only some grainy CCTV footage to go on, we managed to identify a suspect and locate and arrest him within two days.

"We then gathered further evidence to secure a conviction which included forensics work by our SOCO team showing traces of the victim’s blood on Hamston’s trousers and shoe.

“We also recovered the victim’s expensive camera which had been sold by the offender.

“The victim sustained serious injuries including a broken jaw with multiple fractures and the incident had a profound effect on him and his family.

"I hope that today’s sentence will give them some sense of justice and enable them to start moving on from this ordeal."