A serial criminal from Borehamwood has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbing eight betting shops across the country.

Nicholas Smith, 58, of Tempsford Avenue, admitted robbing Ladbrokes bookmakers’ armed with a gun over a two-year period.

Smith stole £13,379 from the betting shops in Hertfordshire and the south east between 2006 and 2007.

He was eventually arrested in January following a major operation between Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad.

Smith pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on September 4 to eight counts of robbery and eight counts of possession of a firearm. A further 28 offences relating to robberies and firearms offences were placed on file.

And at Harrow Crown Court last Friday he was sentenced to 12 years in prison with Judge Alan Greenwood specifying that he should serve a minimum of six years without parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Hennigan, from Finchley Flying Squad, said: “Smith would normally enter the bookmakers’ when there are few or no customers late in the evening or first thing in the morning and walk straight to the counter. He then demanded that cash be placed in a carrier bag whilst threatening staff by saying he had a gun.

“No one was injured during the robberies, nor had a firearm been discharged, but members of staff were left shaken by the experience.

“Despite Smith using disguises, my officers built up a description of him and released several CCTV images of the suspect to help identify him. Officers conducted extensive enquiries and issued media appeals to identify the man in the images.

“The weight of evidence against him was overwhelming which I believe went some way in his guilty plea and determined his substantial sentence.”