A man has been jailed for 11 years for his part in an armed robbery at a Bradford bookmakers.

Michael Sayers was on the run from the police when he joined a gang who raided Stanley Racing in Gain Lane, Fagley, in March last year.

Terrified staff and customers were ordered to lie on the floor and threatened with a handgun, while one of the masked robbers smashed a security screen and grabbed more than £700 in cash.

The gang then fled in a stolen Vauxhall Vectra which was later found abandoned in Petrie Grove, Thornbury.

Sayers, 22, of Amberton Close, Gipton, Leeds, denied robbery, but the jury at Bradford Crown Court took only three hours to reach a unanimous verdict.

Tom Bayliss, prosecuting, told the court that Sayers was arrested four months after the raid and during interviews denied any involvement, but several pieces of evidence linked him to the incident.

A footprint found on the shop counter revealed that one of the gang had a very small foot. Sayers wears size five shoes.

More crucially, a balaclava discovered in an alleyway not far from the abandoned car showed glass from the security screen and saliva which later proved a DNA match with a sample Sayers gave to the police.

The chances of it matching anyone else were a billion to one, said Mr Bayliss.

"The very item of disguise meant to hide his identity has in fact given it away," he added.

Defence counsel Robin Maris confirmed that his client was currently serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence for burglary imposed last August and was on the run at the time of the robbery.

Passing sentence, Judge Roger Ibbotson told Sayers he had caused terror to customers and employees in the small, unprotected shop.

Although it was not a sophisticated robbery, it was planned.

The judge commended three police officers - Detective Constables Stephen Cox and Michael Wilson and PC Paul Turton - for their work in solving the case.

He also awarded £100 from public funds to a member of the public, Michael Browne, who reported seeing the getaway car as it was being abandoned.