TWO Southampton University students, one armed with a hammer, forced their way into a house of multi-occupancy in the hope of retrieving a mobile phone a friend had lost.

The city crown court heard how the woman and her boyfriend, with the aid of tracking device on the phone, had earlier gone to the house where the door was opened by Sam Miller who pointed to a flat below.

They went there but left empty handed “unimpressed by the answer they were given,” said prosecutor Rob Welling.

After reading a social network site, Dylan Campbell and Nicholas Pyke then went to the house to get it.

Mr Miller again answered the door and was confronted by Campbell who produced a geological hammer from a string bag and demanded the phone.

Mr Miller said he didn’t have it but Campbell prodded him in the chest with the implement.

The occupant again repeated he didn’t have the phone and ran to his room and shut the door.

Campbell pushed against his door and then tried to get into the next door room of another occupant before leaving.

Campbell, 20, and Pyke, 19, both living in halls of residence in Southampton, admitted making an demand with menaces.

They received a 16 month suspended sentence, a 260 hour community service order and must pay costs and court fees totalling £1,500.

Justin Hugheston-Roberts, for the defence said Campbell had hoped to become an English teacher and Pyke a biochemist but their careers had now been dashed.

Judge Peter Henry said two things had saved them from a prison sentence.

Firstly he considered they acted out of a sense of bravado and secondly because they pleaded guilty