A man who threatened supermarket staff with a knife and stole hundreds of pounds worth of cash has been jailed for eight years.

33-year-old Stuart Cheetham (pictured left) was sentenced last Friday after pleading guilty to three counts of armed robbery.

In March he threatened a member of staff at Aldi supermarket on Deepdale Retail Park with a knife and stole around £500 from the till.

Earlier that month Cheetham threatened a man with a knife in Chorley, assaulting the victim and stealing his bank card.

Cheetham then threatened a woman and her 15-year-old son at a cash point, stealing her purse and bank card.

Officers traced Cheetham to an address in Preston where he was arrested in mid-March.

Det Insp Paul Rudd said: “This was a terrifying ordeal for the victims concerned.  They were very serious offences that could have resulted in someone being seriously injured.

“Thankfully these types of offences are rare but we take them very seriously and are committed to investigating them thoroughly.

“I am happy with the sentence given and it should send a clear message that violent offences will simply not be tolerated.”

Cheetham must serve four years before he is eligible to apply for parole.