In the latest incident on Friday a man with what appeared to be a handgun demanded money from terrified staff at Ladbrokes on Market Place.

Bookmakers in Ripley, Ilkeston and Eastwood have also been robbed in the last 18 months.

The Heanor raid happened at 9pm while the shop was open. Staff there operate a policy of locking the front door but letting customers in when they knock at nights.

They opened the door to what appeared to be a customer, but once it was unlocked he fled and another hooded man burst into the shop.

Brandishing what appeared to be a handgun, he wore a hat pulled down over his face with eye holes cut in it.

He demanded money and fled with several bags of cash from behind the counter. The amount stolen has not been disclosed.

Staff say he was wearing a grey coat and was about 50. He was short and of large build, and a Scottish accent. He was carrying a red shopping bag.

Detectives are studying CCTV footage from the shop and the surrounding area and are keen to trace a youth who was in the area and wore an orange fleece top.

In February last year the manager of Ladbrokes on Bath Street in Ilkeston was punched and slapped by a robber, who then tied her up before stealing cash from the branch.

In March this year a man robbed the Ladbrokes on the Market Place in Ripley, threatening staff at knife point.

In Eastwood two bookmakers on Nottingham Road have been robbed. In July a man armed with a hammer stole cash from the Mark Jarvis branch and in April armed robbers snatched £6,000 from the town's Ladbrokes branch.
A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said: "We will look at any similar previous offences in Derbyshire and surrounding force areas."

A spokesman for Ladbrokes said the firm offered staff time off if they involved in such incidents.

Anyone with any information should call Heanor CID on 0845 123 3333 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.