GAMBLING addict Shaun Bailey has been sentenced to four years in prison after robbing a lone cashier using an imitation firearm at Ladbrokes in Regent Circus on 28 March.

Bailey, 26, of Medgbury Road, had no previous convictions and had been battling with his addiction for years, Swindon Crown Court heard today. In the days leading up to the robbery he had spent his entire salary on gambling machines, before borrowing money from his family and losing that as well.

In desperation, the court heard, Bailey took a BB gun with him to his local branch of Ladbrokes and threatened the cashier, making away with £610 in cash.

After fleeing to Bath on the train Bailey promptly handed himself in to police and told them where he had dumped the weapon. Bailey was sentenced to four years in prison on two counts to run concurrently, and ordered to pay £120 surcharge