A man has pleaded guilty to holding up four Macclesfield stores at knifepoint.

Nicholas Andrew Overton, a day release prisoner, admitted holding up a total of nine stores over 22 days after going on the run.

Overton, 35, admitted being behind the spate of raids in Macclesfield after failing to return to HMP Thorn Cross in Warrington.

He pleaded guilty to a robbery 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 on Thornton Square to be taken into consideration.

Overton, pictured, also pleaded guilty to two robberies in Crewe and Staffordshire at Chester Crown Court and asked for three other robberies to be considered by the court.

He had absconded after working at the Max Spielmann store in Chester on a ‘back to work’ work experience scheme organised through the open prison on Friday, August 23.

When the shop closed, Overton stole £1,500 before disappearing.

Detective Sergeant Dan Ackerley, of Macclesfield CID, said Overton had a previous conviction for an armed robbery with a hand gun.

DS Ackerley said: “He is clearly a very dangerous individual.

“The public can feel relieved that he is off the streets. He wasn’t your normal prolific criminal. He was quite well educated and articulate and didn’t have obvious dependencies.”

He was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, September 19 at an address on School Crescent in Crewe.

The raids at the Co-op on Chester Road, Park News, Portland Wine Company and the Co-op on Thornton Square took place on Wednesday, August 28, Friday, August 30, Monday, September 2 and Monday, September 16.  The other robberies he asked to be taken into consideration took place in Stoke and Crewe.

Overton pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and asked for six other robberies and one burglary to be taken into consideration.

He also pleaded guilty to being unlawfully at large.

Overton will appear at Chester Crown Court on October 28 for sentencing.

DS Ackerley said: “Overton’s arrest was the result of some sterling work across all the eastern area’s CID teams, CID units from Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and Wilmslow.

“It has been a proper team effort which resulted in Overton been charged.

“We were the ones that got him and put him before the court. We said we would get him and we have done.”