A MAN who terrified shop workers in a series of armed robberies has been jailed for six years.

Two of the robberies were carried out at the same shop in Halliwell in the space of six days.

The raider, Alan Murphy, had been released early from a previous prison sentence for firearms offences.

He will now be behind bars for almost eight years. He must serve 650 days outstanding from his previous sentence.

During the robberies -- two at Hanbury's on Eskrick Street, Halliwell, and one at the Late Shop on Chorley Old Road, Bolton -- Murphy pointed a weapon at shop assistants and demanded cash.

Murphy, aged 40, of Freshfields Avenue, Great Lever, Bolton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence. He admitted three robberies and three charges of possessing an imitation firearm.

Prosecutor Jonathan Dickinson said that in the first raid on Hanbury's on April 2 this year, Murphy was seen acting suspiciously by a shop assistant who was monitoring the CCTV system.

She went downstairs and found he had gone, but when she went back upstairs she was confronted by Murphy who was wearing a balaclava and holding a handgun.

The terrified assistant thought the gun was real and Murphy told her: "Look, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to rob the shop."

Another member of staff walked in and Murphy took the women downstairs to where a third member of staff was and demanded cash from the safe. He escaped with £440.

Two of the women assistants involved in the first robbery were in the shop six days later when Murphy walked in wearing a balaclava and holding a gun.

He said: "You know what I want." He got away with £300.

Four days later, Murphy went to The Late Shop on Chorley Old Road, Bolton, and pointed his gun straight at a female assistant's head.

He ordered them to fill a plastic bag with cash from the safe and at one point threatened to shoot a terrified staff member.

As he left with £500 in bank notes, Murphy turned to the staff and said: "I'm sorry, I didn't want to do this."

Judge Arthur Rumbelow QC said that the staff at the shops Murphy had robbed had been absolutely terrified.