A jury in the trial of a man who denies being the getaway driver following a Whitehaven street robbery has retired to consider its verdict.

Peter Banks, 64, is alleged to have driven Mark Mercer away from the crime scene, close to the town's Tesco superstore, on January 9.

Banks has pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbery and is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court.

Jurors have heard Mercer has admitted robbing Courtney Leigh Johnson of a mobile phone. The 47-year-old, of Distington, is awaiting sentence.

The prosecution alleges that Banks "spirited" Mercer away in his Volkswagen Golf.

But while Banks admits picking him up in that area, he says he thought it was an innocent "shopping" trip.

Under cross-examination today it was suggested to him that he knew he was helping Mercer commit the robbery.

But Banks, of Church Road, Harrington, Workington, replied: "No. I didn't know nowt about it."

Having heard all the evidence in the case, a jury of 10 women and two men retired to consider their verdict this afternoon.

They were sent home for the evening by Judge Peter Davies, and are due to resume their deliberations in the morning.