FOUR armed robberies in Bolton over the last six weeks are not being linked to a spate of up to 40 carried in Manchester since January.

Detectives have set up Operation Gasper in a bid to catch those responsible for the armed robberies and attempted armed robberies in the south of the city.

Some victims have been threatened with a machete and handguns during the raids which are normally committed by two or three men.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "The raids in south Manchester are not believed to have any connection to the recent robberies in Bolton. Only 11 or 12 of the raids in south Manchester are believed to be linked together but we are investigating all the incidents seriously."

There have been four raids on banks and service station in Bolton since the beginning of August and at this stage, none of them are being linked.

During the latest robbery two weeks ago, two masked gunmen stormed into Park View Service Station in Bolton Road, Kearsley, while a security guard was collecting cash.

They threatened the staff and forced them to hand over a substantial amount of money. Eight days earlier, armed raiders held two women hostage with a machete and a handgun

during an armed robbery at Barclays in Winter Hey Lane, Horwich.

At the start of August, armed robberies also targeted the Royal Bank of Scotland on Deane Road, Deane and at a garage in Bradford Street, the Haulgh.