A 45-year-old man who robbed a Reading betting shop with a wooden stick shaven to a point has been jailed for three and a half years.

Wayne Mcleod, of HMP Coldingley, went on to verbally threatened a staff member at a Co-op the next day and forced the man to hand over cash from the till.

At Reading Crown Court on November 10, a jury found him guilty of two counts of robbery.

“Wayne Mcleod targeted shop workers working alone for his robberies, for one of which he was armed,” said Detective Constable Abi Carver.

READ MORE: Reading man wins silver at Wakeboard World Championship

“We will never tolerate such criminality within Reading and the wider Thames Valley so I am pleased Mcleod has been brought to justice.”

Mcleod entered Corals bookmakers in Erleigh Road at around 7pm on June 4 this year, armed with an item described as a wooden shank by Thames Valley Police.

He made verbal threats towards a member of staff behind the counter, a man in his twenties who was working alone, and took cash from the till before leaving.

READ MORE: Reading GP sent out almost 300 private email addresses in 'massive data breach'

Then, at around 4pm on June 5, Mcleod made verbal threats to a member of staff, who was working alone at the till in the Co-operative in Erleigh Road.

He forced the victim, a man in his twenties, to hand over cash from the till.

Officers arrested Mcleod on June 6 and he was charged the following day.