An armed robber who targeted shops across Suffolk and Essex has been jailed for ten years.

Danny Wrenn, 29 and of no fixed address, was responsible for a string of robberies and attempted robberies in March and April last year.

Wrenn faced 14 charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court, three counts of attempted robbery, eight counts of robbery, two counts of having a knife in a public place and one count of possession of cannabis.

On April 2 last year, Wrenn targeted a Clacton branch of the Co-Op, on Coopers Lane, entering the store and demanding that staff open the safe and tills. He escaped with around £500.

Officers from Essex Police later found a T-shirt near the scene, which was found to contain Wrenn’s DNA after testing.

He again left a T-shirt near the scene of his next robbery in Great Baddow on April 3, when he left TN News in Baddow Road with £700 in cash.

Following another robbery on the following day in Silver End, Wrenn made his way across the border into Suffolk, targeting another Co-Op store on April 5. This time, he entered the store in Laburnum Close, Ipswich, but fled the scene empty-handed after staff refused to co-operate and called police.

Wrenn struck again later the same evening, making his way to Colchester and taking an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes from the Premier Store in Hythe Quay.

His crime spree concluded with another Co-Op robbery in Billericay, where he stole £4,025 from the store’s safe and tills.

Wrenn was one of two men who had previously raided Dominos Pizza in Hutton in December, 2017, The Chelmsford Star Co-Op in Woodland Avenue, Hutton, on December 2017 and February 2018 and a post office in Lambourne Road, Chigwell in March 2018.

Wrenn also admitted attempting to raid Appan’s Superstore in Kiln Road, Benfleet, on March 30 but left empty-handed.

Officers later caught Wrenn in Harold Hill, Romford, after executing a warrant for his arrest.

He admitted the charges at Chelmsford Crown Court in June, before being sentenced to ten years in prison on Tuesday, March 19 this year.

Investigating officer detective constable Hollie Hughes, said: “Wrenn planned his crimes, arming himself and targeting small shops just before closing time.

“He left his victims terrified and I hope it gives them some comfort that he will be in jail for a significant amount of time.”