A robber jailed for eight years for holding up a shop with an imitation Star Trek gun today had his case referred to the Court of Appeal, the Criminal Cases Review Commission reported.

Michael Rowe was convicted in June 1996 at Nottingham Crown Court of robbing the Index Catalogue shop in Nottingham where he used to work.

The robber forced staff at gunpoint to hand over money in £1 coins into two bags, according to the commission.

Rowe, a Star Trek fan who used to go to fans' conventions, claimed that he was on a train to see his girlfriend in Manchester at the time of the robbery.

The commission said it was referring the case to the Court of Appeal after it emerged that fingerprint evidence found at the scene was not passed on to his defence.

Rowe was sentenced to eight years for robbery and five years, to run concurrently, for possession of a firearm.

The commission has referred more than 60 cases to the Court of Appeal and of those that have been heard, 17 have been overturned.

* Michael Rowe's conviction was upheld by the court of appeal on 8 December 2000.