A pair of armed robbers are facing a lengthy jail term after admitting carrying out a raid on a Chiseldon newsagent.

Tommy Ellingham and Peter Wheeler carried out the hold up at Chaplins Newsagent on Monday January 16 using a Walther CP88 air gun.

The raid was the eighth armed robbery the men had been involved in during a three week period after Christmas last year.

Ellingham, 22, and Wheeler, 23, carried out the offences in London and the Thames Valley before the last offence in Wiltshire.

The pair stole cash and cigarettes from Chaplins, on High Street, during the early morning raid.

Wearing scarves to cover their faces they produced a handgun, which though it only fired ball bearings looked like the real thing, to threaten staff and demand cash from the till.

Shortly after the raid, at 6.30am, armed police raced to the scene and detectives viewed CCTV from the shop.

The incident was the last in the series of armed robberies which started in the London area on December 28, when they raided three shops in one day.

They then carried out similar offences on Sunday January 8, then the following day, two on Sunday January 15 before the final offence.

Wheeler, of Uxbridge, both Middlesex, pleaded guilty to eight counts of robbery and eight associated firearms offences. He also asked for 19 other offences to be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.

Ellingham, of Hayes, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to eight robberies and just six of the firearms offences. He asked for seven other offences to be taken into consideration.

Recorder Michael Parroy QC, sitting at Swindon crown court, adjourned the case to Friday June 1 to allow the probation service time to compile a pre-sentence report.

But remanding them into custody he warned them they should not expect to receive anything but a jail term when they return to be sentenced.

He said “I adjourned the matter so the court has the most information it can about you. That should not mean that in the end there will not be a custodial sentence and this in no way ties the hands of whatever judge deals with you.”