A MAN who committed six armed robberies at Blackburn off-licences will serve almost seven years in prison before he can apply for parole.

Thomas Moffett, 43, of Roebuck Close, Blackburn, armed himself with a nail gun and threatened terrified shopkeepers in March and May.

He was caught partly thanks to a shop worker who slipped an explosive dye pack into a bundle of cash he was given in one of the shops. The dye exploded, marking his clothes.

Moffett was given an indeterminate prison sentence for the protection of the public by Judge Norman Wright yesterday and will serve a minimum of six years and 344 days.

He will remain on licence for a minimum of ten years.

Moffett had pleaded not guilty to the six offences, during which cash, tobacco and vodka were stolen, but was found guilty by a jury last month.

He robbed the Local, formerly Victoria Wine, Redlam on May 24 and March 27. He also raided Booze Busters, Wensley Road, on May 15 and May 21 and Bargain Booze, Livesey Branch Road, on May 17 and May 21.

Sentencing him, Judge Wright called the crimes "professionally executed robberies."

And he said Moffett had caused his victims to have nightmares thanks to the "terrifying" offences he committed, which were caught on a number of shop security cameras.

Judge Wright said: "The CCTV shows you committing these offences and shows the weapon which was ultimately retrieved by police and proven to be a nail gun.

"It was unable to actually discharge any missile but that was not known by victims of your robberies."

After the case, Det Insp Paul Withers of Blackburn CID said: "We are extremely pleased with the sentence he has been given. Clearly he is a dangerous man who subjected a number of people to extremely frightening and distressing incidents.

"He is going to have many years to reflect on what he has done."

Judge Wright also said that when sentencing Moffett he was taking into account previous offences, including a conviction for affray in 1999.

He said: "There is a significant risk of you causing serious personal injury by the committing of further offences."