Five shops raided in 30 minutes

A masked man armed with a hammer carried out five raids on shops within half an hour.

The raider, with an accomplice driving a silver car, struck at shops in and around Bedworth, Warwickshire, on Monday afternoon.

He threatened staff, but no-one was hurt, in all the convenience stores and got away with money from four of them.

It is also thought he was involved in a number of robberies in Coventry earlier that day.

All the robberies took place between 1600 and 1633 GMT.

White scarf

The first incident was at the Spar shop in Leicester Street, Bulkington, where there were three staff members and two customers when the man entered. He left empty-handed.

He then took £185 from the One Stop Convenience Store in Heath Road, Bedworth, £30 from Sedgies Newsagents in the same street, £70 from Ash Green Post Office in Coventry and £10 from Exhall Service Station.

The man is described as being Asian or mixed race and wearing a blue tracksuit with a hooded top. He had a white scarf wrapped around his face.

A white man was seen driving a silver VW Golf, registered LF02ETE, which was waiting nearby.