A man has been arrested following a linked series of commercial knifepoint robberies in Richmond and nearby South West London towns.

The 45-year-old was arrested this morning in the vicinity of Northfield Avenue, Ealing, after an operation by the Met's Flying Squad.

The arrest follows a series of eight incidents that police are treating as related. They took place between Friday, October 16 2020 and today (Thursday, February 25) at a number of supermarkets in Richmond, Hounslow and Ealing.

Officers also recovered a large kitchen knife during the arrest.

In each of the cases, the suspect is alleged to have waited for the store to be opened by staff members, before threatening them with a knife. He then stole cash from the tills, and on occasion, cigarettes, alcohol, and scratch cards, which were placed into a black holdall and a bin bag/Sainsbury's bags.

In total, more than £25,000 worth of cash and goods were stolen.

The man is in custody at a South London police station.