Man held in custody on robbery charges over break-in at home of Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish

A man charged with robbery over a break-in at the home of Tour de France cyclist Mark Cavendish has been remanded in custody as he appeared before a crown court.

The rider said he and his family had been left “extremely distressed” after the raid at his home in Ongar, Essex, at about 2.35am on Saturday, 27 November.

Romario Henry, of Bell Green in Lewisham, south-east London, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court via video-link from prison on Friday, accused of two counts of robbery.

The 30-year-old entered no pleas and spoke only to confirm his name before he was remanded in custody.

Judge Christopher Morgan heard the case for around 10 minutes before setting a further case management hearing for March 4.

Cavendish, who is originally from the Isle of Man, was recovering from significant injuries he suffered in a crash during a track event in Belgium at the time of the raid, which saw him and his wife threatened.

Essex Police said a Louis Vuitton suitcase and two high-value watches were stolen.