An armed robber who raided a building society in Macclesfield has been jailed for life.

Martin Dawson, 51, held up the Britannia Building Society on Castle Street, Macclesfield, in August after escaping from prison.

Armed with an imitation firearm he walked into the building society on August 29 before demanding money and making off with a large amount of cash.

He was handed a life sentence by a judge at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday (November 20) for the raid and a second armed robbery which took place at a Britannia Building Society in Newport in June.

Dawson, of no fixed abode, was arrested in the Stoke-on-Trent area in October after the crime was featured on BBC’s Crimewatch programme.

After denying both robbery charges Dawson was found guilty by jury and sentenced to life in prison. He wills serve a minimum of nine years.

DC James Bowbeer of Runcorn CID, said: "This was a particularly pleasing result especially for the victims who underwent this ordeal.

"Given his previous offending history it was clear that he would have gone on to commit further offences putting the public at risk. A life tariff is an appropriate sentence given the circumstances and the public can be re-assured by this."

Inspector Dafydd Jones, of West Mercia Police, said: "I hope this sentencing shows West Mercia Police′s priority of protecting people from harm and bringing offenders to justice.

"Dawson was a danger to the public and it is a great result that he is now behind bars. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the witnesses involved in this case who had to relive this distressing event."

His sentence comes after Nicholas Overton was jailed for six years committing nine robberies at knife point – four of them in Macclesfield – while on the run earlier this year. Though the pair's crimes were unrelated, three of Overton's Macclesfield raids and Dawson's occurred in the same week.

Overton pleaded guilty to carrying out robberies at Park News on Brown Street in Macclesfield, and asked for raids at Portland Wine Company on Chester Road, the Co-op store also on Chester Road and the Co-op store on Thornton Street to be taken into consideration.

He carried out the raids after failing to return to HMP Thorn Cross in Warrington where he was a day release prisoner.