THREE men who carried out a string of armed robberies at bookmakers, post offices and banks in the north west London area were jailed at Harrow Crown Court on Friday.

Jamie Owen, 23, of Langland Crescent, Stanmore, was sentenced to six years imprisonment after pleading guilty on September 30 to conspiracy to rob and possession of an imitation firearm between July 8 and July 29 last year.

Aaron Williams, 26, of Church Lane, Brent, was sentenced to six years and six months imprisonment, after pleading guilty on October 28 to conspiracy to rob and possession of a firearm between July 27 and 29.

Luke Barnard, 19, of Adderley Road, Harrow, was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob and possession of a firearm also between July 27 and 29.

During the robberies, police said Owen would enter the places wearing a black hooded top and once at the counter would produce a small black handgun, point it at staff before putting a plastic bag on the counter and demanding they fill it up.

The Metropolitan Police Service's Flying Squad mounted a surveillance operation in the Harrow area and caught the men on July 28.

The men were kept under surveillance in Queensbury and Belmont Circle and were seen to meet up with a white man who was driving a green Vauxhall Tigra, which was registered to Jamie Owen.

At around 8pm, Owen and the two black men, who were later identified as Aaron Williams and Luke Barnard, all got into the Vauxhall Tigra and went to Kenton Lane.

Owen and Williams then got out of the car and walked towards Ladbrokes at Kenton Park Parade.

They entered the shop and demanded cash which was handed over.

They were arrested by armed Flying Squad officers after they left the shop and got back into the car.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Hennigan, of the Flying Squad at Finchley, said it was “a very successful investigation”.