TWO cousins have been charged in connection with a series of claw hammer robberies across the North West, including four in East Lancashire.

Dean Sykes, 25, of Little Hulton, Salford, faces 18 charges of robbery, which police have dubbed the ‘Co-op’ or ‘claw-hammer’ series.

His cousin, Chris Sykes, 30, of Manchester Road, Little Hulton, Salford, is charged with one robbery in Salford on February 16.

Among the offences Dean Sykes is accused of — which spread through Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Staffordshire — are two armed robberies at the Co-op in Pickup Street, Clayton-le-Moors, less than a month apart between January and February.

In both incidents, a masked robber armed with a claw hammer threatened staff and demanded money.

More than £2,000 was taken in the first raid and in the second, the robber jumped over the counter and used the hammer to force open the till.

Sykes is also charged with a robbery at Spar garage in Burnley Road, Accrington, on February 2, when staff were threatened with a hammer and cash was stolen.

On December 14, three robbers with scarves covering their faces and armed with a knife and iron bar, stormed into Healey Off Licence in Market Street, Whitworth, demanding cash.

They ran off with £2,100 and cigarettes.

Detectives from Accrington CID and Rossendale CID are working alongside GMP.

Both men were remanded into custody by Bury magistrates on Tuesday and will appear at Bolton Crown Court on May 10.

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