THIS is the face of a hardened career criminal who terrified travel agency staff in a string of robberies. He targeted businesses with female staff, pointing his gun at them and threatening them verbally and physically before forcing them to hand over mon

THIS is the face of a hardened career criminal who terrified travel agency staff in a string of robberies.

He targeted businesses with female staff, pointing his gun at them and threatening them verbally and physically before forcing them to hand over money then locking them in rooms.

During five weeks in the summer last year, Delroy Blackwood, 26, robbed at gunpoint three travel agents including Going Places in Bancroft, Hitchin.

More than £130,000 in travellers' cheques and various foreign currencies were stolen.

Det Sgt Ruth Woolway, who with colleagues from Bedford and Leeds investigated the offences, said: "Blackwood is a very dangerous and violent man who traumatised his victims.

"In the Hitchin robbery on July 7 last year Blackwood threatened three female members of staff with a handgun before ordering them to hand over cash and travellers' cheques, all of the time verbally threatening and abusing them. These victims have shown exceptional strength of character in helping police bring him to justice and are a credit to themselves and to their employers."

Blackwood, of Alfearn Road, London, pleaded guilty after two days of a trial to three offences of armed robbery and possession of a firearm. He was sentenced last week at Luton Crown Court to a total of 20 years in prison.

This was Blackwood's third set of convictions for armed robberies - in 2000 he was sentenced to seven years in prison for 10 such offences at assorted travel agents, post offices and banks.