A GANG of armed robbers who netted more than £26,000 and stuffed the cash under a sofa were jailed for a total of 55 years on Monday. The four men terrorised betting shop staff into handing over cash in nine daylight attacks across South-east London. Their two-month spree was halted when police swooped following a "brazen" £25,000 hold-up of a Post Office cash delivery van.

Shannon Palmer, 21, Kyle Dixon, 20, Emmanuel Briggs, 20, and Victor Joseph, 19, variously admitted armed robbery and firearms charges at Blackfriars Crown Court.

Michael Hall, prosecuting, said: "This case involves a series of robberies committed by these defendants, together as a group or with others unknown, between September 30 and November 14 last year, specifically targeting betting shops.

"All four knew of the plan and knew that it involved the carrying of a firearm which was to be used to threaten and intimidate staff."

In the first robbery, on September 30, two of the gang walked into Ladbrokes in Lee High Road and put a silver semi-automatic handgun on the counter.

One said: "No one's gonna get shot, don't press no buttons, give me all the money." They then fled with a quantity of cash.

On October 3, two men held a gun to cashier Cynthia Mwafe's head at the Coombes book-maker's in Cheltenham Road, Peckham, but left empty-handed.

They went on to hit a branch of Ladbrokes in Bromley Road, Catford, the same day and made off with £310.

Other targets included: William Hill, in Camberwell Church Street, Camberwell; Ladbrokes in The Parade, Sandburst Road, Catford; Coral in Rushey Green, Catford; Coral in Algernon Road, Lewisham; and cash delivery man Francis O'Donnell as he approached a post office in High Street, Lewisham.

When a staff member at William Hill in De Laune Street, Walworth, told one of the robbers he could not open the shop's safe, he was asked: "What about if I shot you? Will it open?"

Judge Deva Pillay sent Palmer, Dixon and Joseph to young offender institutions for 15 years, and gave Briggs 10 years.

He said: "Your victims have been terrorised by their experience.

"Nearly all of them have had to have time off work. A few have found themselves unable to return to work.

"Some still now suffer panic attacks and find it hard to sleep, while others have had to receive counselling."

Palmer, of Belmont Park, Lewisham, Dixon, of Kimpton Road, Camberwell Green, Briggs, of Peckham Road, Peckham, and Joseph, of Charles Coveney Road, Peckham, between them admitted eight armed robberies, one attempted robbery and nine counts of possessing firearms.