Bond lookalike raider is jailed

The defendant bore a resemblance to Sean Connery, pictured

A Sean Connery lookalike has been jailed for life at Cardiff Crown Court after being caught showing off his good looks.

William Ford, 50, travelled across Britain carrying out armed raids on building societies.

Ford failed change his Bond image

But police revealed how Ford's desire to show off his resemblance to veteran Hollywood superstar Connery was his downfall.

Detectives hunting the armed raider released a picture of Ford showing his striking similarity to Sir Sean.

Ford, formerly of Builth Wells, mid Wales, failed to change his Connery image and was spotted after fleeing to Blackpool.

He was arrested within 24 hours of the picture appearing in newspapers and on TV.

Police said he made "a great play" of looking like Sire Sean Connery even trying to act cool like the Scottish star of Bond movies.

Prosecutor David Wooler said: "He staged the robberies in market towns across the country.

"He wore a smart suit covered with scarf and overcoat which he abandoned after carrying out the offences.

Ford's vanity has got the better of him. He knows he looks like Connery

Detective Inspector Mike Jones, Gwent Police

"The first robbery was at the Cheltenham and Gloucester in Abergavenny, Gwent.

"He was wearing a scarf on the lower part of his face and a dark hat. He handed her a note.

"It had the words "gun" and "money" written on it. "He said: 'I'm not joking. I've got a gun.'

"He had a gun-shaped object wrapped in polythene and he appeared to have his finger on the trigger.

The second identical robbery was two weeks later at the Alliance and Leicester in Shrewsbury and a third five weeks later at the Bradford and Bingley in Skipton, north Yorkshire.

The court heard he escaped with a total of £4,675 from three raids.

Ford was traced to Blackpool by someone who recognised his photograph.

'Financed lifestyle'

The court was told he had previous form for robberies and was jailed for eight years at Exeter in 1993.

Detective Inspector Mike Jones, of Gwent Police, said: "Ford's vanity has got the better of him. He knows he looks like Connery."

Det Insp Jones, who investigated all three robberies, said: "The robberies financed his lifestyle.

"As soon as he ran out of cash he held up another building society."

Judge David Wynn Morgan jailed Ford for life under the "three strikes and your out" Home Office guidelines known as the Crime Sentences Act.

He gave the recommendation that he serve a minimum of 45 months.

Ford - smartly dressed in an open-neck shirt and blue blazer - smiled as he was led away.