A man who threatened staff in a Milton Keynes shop with a fake gun as part of a cross-county crime spree has been jailed for nine years.

Westley Brimble, 44, first targeted a bookmaker’s shop in Luton on Friday, April 5, handing a note to staff that read: ‘Listen. Do not make a noise. Fill this bag with money. I have a gun’, before escaping with £230 in cash.

Over the next 26 hours, he carried out two more robberies and another attempted robbery in Bedford and Milton Keynes – including causing significant damage to a hotel and pulling out a fake gun at a fast-food restaurant in Bedfordshire before fleeing empty-handed after the manager locked himself in his office.

He also stole from a food shop in Walnut Tree of the Buckinghamshire city, before crossing into Dunstable and taking money and cigarettes after threatening a shop assistant.

The 44-year-old, who lives in Luton, was arrested shortly after finishing the spree on Saturday, April 6, when officers identified his vehicle and found the fake gun inside it.

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He pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, one attempted robbery and one charge of criminal damage at Luton Crown Court this week and was also convicted of four charges of possession of an imitation firearm.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Detective Sergeant Jordan Lancaster of Bedfordshire Police said: "This sentence shows the judge felt Brimble was a dangerous man who should be kept off the streets.

“He made shop workers who were just doing their jobs fear for their lives.

“I am proud of the team that put these cases together and secured this conviction. We know that street crime is a continuing concern for local residents, and we will continue to work tirelessly to put people like Brimble behind bars.”