A HAMPSHIRE man has been jailed after admitting arming himself with a broken bottle and robbing three bookies in Southampton and Winchester.

Nigel Steven Roe, 34, of Millbrook Road West, was jailed for four years over the string of offences, which took place over three days this summer.

Southampton Crown Court heard how on Monday, June 19, Roe targeted a Ladbrokes branch in Shirley High Street at around 9.20pm, threatening staff with the broken bottle and demanding money from the till.

Roe then went on to target the Corals branch in Stoney Lane, Winchester, at 3.30pm on June 20, before attempting to disguise himself in construction wear and a hard hat and robbing another Ladbrokes branch in Shirley at 12.30pm on June 21.

A total of £1,195 was taken by Roe in the robberies, before police officers tracked him down and arrested him in Bournemouth.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said that officers took eight hours to track down Roe, following his third armed robbery.

Detective Constable Jonny Hyland from the Western Investigation Team said: “Roe committed these very serious crimes for very little cash, however the impact on staff at the sites is not insignificant.

"Roe targeted these stores and threatened violence to get what he wanted, for his own selfish greed.

“I would like to thank the team that helped track Roe down and gathered the evidence that compelled Roe to admit his culpability, and to bring him to justice.”

As well as pleading guilty to three counts of armed robbery, Roe also pleaded guilty to three counts of threatening someone with an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison.