A SOUTHAMPTON robber who threatened shop staff by telling them he had a gun has been jailed.

Jake Spiers would walk into stores with a bag or rucksack, which he would reach into before telling staff he had a gun.

Using the technique, the 29-year-old carried out two robberies in Southampton.

He also stole goods from a city department store on two occasions.

Now Spiers, of Landguard Road, Southampton, has been jailed for four and a half years.

During his sentencing, at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday, the court heard how Spiers carried out one of his robberies at Foyes News on Shirley Road.

The court heard he walked into the store with a rucksack just after 10.15am on November 6.

He put his hand in the rucksack and threatened a member of staff saying he had a gun and demanded cash from the till.

He took a quantity of cash and left the store.

Two days later, just before midnight on Friday, 8 November, Spiers entered Retro Burger on Waterloo Road holding a carrier bag.

Again, he put his hand inside the carrier bag and said he had a gun and demanded cash.

A member of staff gave him an envelope containing £10 and he left the store.

No-one was hurt in either incident.

Spiers also stole from John Lewis at Westquay on two occasions, once on Sunday, October 13 and again on Friday, November 8.

He stole an Amazon Echo Dot and a heated mattress cover.

Spiers pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and admitted two charges of shoplifting at Southampton Crown Court on 16 December.

Spiers also admitted to another robbery and two further shoplifting offences which were taken into consideration when being sentenced.