24-year-old Ahmid Dorda of St Marys Abbots Terrace, W14, was sentenced to prison today (21 October) after pleading guilty to nine counts of armed robbery and three attempted robberies.

Dorda, originally from Libya, was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment with two and a half years for each attached possession of an imitation firearm offence to run concurrently.

He pleaded guilty on September 8 at Snaresbrook Crown Court and was sentenced at the same courts.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Andy McGuire, of the Met's Flying Squad said: "We are pleased that we have managed to capture Dorda and bring him to justice.

"Local shops are the lifeblood of our communities and we will use every available resource we have at our disposal to bring to justice those who intimidate and subject shop workers to violence.

"Dorda is a dangerous man and his sentence is a reflection of how seriously these offences are taken."

"He would put on a balaclava and produce a gun, demanding money"

Between December 2014 and March 2015 there were 13 robberies committed on small supermarket shops in the boroughs of Southwark, Islington and Kensington and Chelsea .

The Metropolitan police described that it was by a man who would enter the shops at night and appear to purchase a small item.

According to their reports, he would attempt to hand over cash so that the shopkeeper opened the till, before putting on a balaclava and producing a gun, demanding money or cigarettes.

The first offence in December 2014 involved two men entering a shop on Caledonian Road, Islington and pointing a handgun at a member of staff.

The man was to commit a similar offence at a shop on Napier Road, Kensington on December 26, 2014, leaving empty handed.

Yet another robbery occurred at a shop again on Caledonian Road on January 25, 2015, where he made off with cash.

"DNA found at two of the robberies matched his DNA"

On May 11, Dorda was stopped by the police in the early hours of the morning on Great Portland Street, SE1 in response to rising burglaries in the area.

Police have reported that he appeared nervous when questioned about his movements.

A search was carried out on his name by the officers and he was shown as being wanted by the UK Border Force.

The officers were asked to arrest him so that he could be spoken to.

Upon searching him, officers found him in possession of a small black metal gun and he was further arrested for that offence.

In custody, Dorda's fingerprints and DNA were taken and officers investigating the robberies were notified that the DNA found at two of the robberies matched.

A search was carried out at two addresses known to Dorda, both close to the scene of many of the robberies and clothing was found which matched the clothing worn by the robber.

Dorda was charged on June 12 with 13 offences of robbery and the associated possession of imitation firearm offences.