An armed robber who stole £67,000 from a travel agents in Bexleyheath has been jailed for 13 years.

Robert Darling, 37, of no fixed abode but from the Southwark area, admitted the robberies in Upminster, Bexleyheath and Kent and associated firearms offences at the Old Bailey.

Today, (December 6) Darling was jailed at the same court.

In the robberies, Darling threatened members of staff with a firearm and ordered them to empty the safes of money.

He was detained by officers from the Flying Squad at an address in the Rotherhithe area on October 21 - at that address the gun and money from the Upminster offence were recovered.

He admitted a robbery on September 18 at Thomson Travel Agents, Broadway, Bexleyheath, a robbery on October 21, at Thomson Travel Agents, Bell Corner, Upminster and robbery on July 8 at Thomas Cook, Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells.

He also admitted possession of an imitation firearm in all three robberies and possession/ control identity documents with intent.

As well as the Bexleyheath robbery Darling stole £5,000 in the Upminster raid and in the Kent incident £32,000 was taken.

The money from the offences in Bexley and Kent have not been recovered.

DC Leisa Johnson, of the Met's Organised Crime Command, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for all of the people involved.

"The firearm pointed at them appeared genuine and this was coupled with threats to shoot them from Darling.

"This has the understandable effect of causing the staff genuine fear for their lives. This sentence reflects the seriousness of the three incidents."