A robber who held up a string of off-licences armed with his son's toy gun has been jailed for ten years.

Daniel Grimes mounted a nine-day reign of terror in Brighton and Hove, mentally scarring some of his shop-assistant victims for life.

Sentencing him at Hove Crown Court yesterday, Judge Austin Issard-Davies said: "Off-licences and newsagents are run by people who, the court recognises, have to be protected."

"In nine days in December last year you committed six robberies or attempted robberies mostly using vile, violent threats and mostly with imitation firearms.

"Those actions will leave marks of fear and disturbance on your victims which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

"The protection of the public from you is now a matter of major concern."

Grimes, a 45-year-old carpenter, frightened one woman shop assistant so much that she was suffering constant flashbacks.

Richard Cherrill, prosecuting, read her statement: "I thought my life was going to end. I hate the man who has done this to me. He has changed my life forever.

"I feel sick every time I enter a shop now."

The woman was one of Grimes' victims in shops in London.

He committed two similar raids in Brighton and left the city after stealing £30 of petrol, an act that led to his capture.

His battered Volvo was caught on CCTV at an Esso station on the A23 at Patcham, Brighton, and Flying Squad police arrested him later in Essex.

In the car they found an imitation weapon, his son's toy gun.

It ended a nine-day reign of terror. It was on December 16 that Grimes raided Thresher's off-licence in St James's Street, Brighton.

Grimes pointed a gun at the cashier and told him: "I will blow your head off - give me the money."

A customer came in and disturbed Grimes and he fled with a bottle of vodka.

The same day Grimes grabbed £100 from Evans newsagents in Queen's Road, Brighton. He told the assistant there: "I have a knife and I will slash you up."

The court heard how Grimes had a string of previous convictions for similar offences and was on licence after being released from prison in 2001.

Grimes, from Romford in Essex, pleaded guilty to all six offences.

Chester Beyts, defending, said Grimes never used violence and it was only during bouts of drinking that he committed crimes.

But Judge Issard-Davies said Grimes had failed to overcome his addiction to alcohol.

He ordered Grimes to serve 12 months outstanding on a previous sentence and, in addition, a total of ten years for the latest spate of crimes.

Grimes was expressionless as he was led away.

His partner in the public gallery wept.