AN UNDERSIZED robber is being linked to three armed robberies.

The same crook of just over 5ft tall is believed to have raided The Wine Cellar in Willaston, Bonbon Newsagents in Little Sutton and an offlicence in Whitby.

Cheshire Constabulary spokesman Jon Ratcliffe said: 'We are keeping an open mind as to whether the offences are linked. There are similarities.'

The first raid happened at Wine Cellar on Hadlow Road at 9.05pm on October 10. The robber threatened the cashier with a knife, forced open the till drawer and grabbed cash before leaving, turning right outside.

The robber was white and small, with a grey woolly hat pulled over his face and eyeholes cut into it.

He wore a beige fleece with 'Italia' on the back, with his hands covered. The knife had a wooden handle.

Mr Ratcliffe urged residents to look for discarded clothing and asked a customer who bought cigarettes minutes before to call police.

The second raid was at Bonbon on Chester Road at 2.40pm on Tuesday, October 11. The robber went behind the counter to open the till, produced a blade and ran off with some cash.

The robber was white, 5ft 1ins, slim, in a black balaclava, black and white baseball cap, light thigh-length coat, dark tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

Finally, a robber entered the offlicence on Chester Road, Whitby, at

7.55pm on Sunday and threatened staff with scissors. They refused to open the till and he escaped with a small amount of money.

The thief was 5ft 2ins, 17-21, slim, dark hair, with a black scarf round his face, in a blue Adidas tracksuit top, black bottoms and beige cap. nAnyone with information should call police on 01244 613174 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.