Teenager jailed for five years after holding hotel staff at gunpoint during separate armed robberies Ayuub Mohammed was sentenced to five years in a young offender's institute He threatened staff with a gun at the Arriva Hotel in Bloomsbury, London Just four hours later he attempted to rob the nearby Howard Winchester Hotel Police believe that the teenager wasn't working alone and appealed for information Sentenced: Ayuub Mohammed was sentenced to five years in a young offender's institute for holding up two London hotels A 15-year-old boy who held staff at two separate London hotels at gunpoint and demanded cash in two armed robberies has been sentenced to five years in a young offender's institute. Ayuub Mohammed threatened receptionists with a handgun at the Arriva Hotel in Bloomsbury and the Howard Winchester Hotel in Argyle Street within the space of just four hours in February. Blackfriars Crown Court heard that Mohammed arrived at the Arriva Hotel on Swinton Street at around 11pm on February 27, pulled a gun from his pocket and demanded cash from the hotel receptionist. He hit a hotel worker with the gun and ordered him to open the hotel safe. The receptionist gave Mohammed a small amount of cash before forcing a hotel guest to hand over £180 in cash and a mobile phone. The court heard that at 3am on February 28th, Mohammed entered the second hotel, the Howard Winchester, and asked a receptionist to search for room availability. He then pulled out the gun and threatened staff, again asking for cash. But he left the hotel empty handed when the receptionist attempted to grab the gun. Following a police investigation, Mohammed was eventually arrested and charged in June. He pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and two counts of possession of an imitation firearm, and was sentenced to a total of five years. Detectives believe that he was not working alone and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch. Investigating officer, Det Con Dawn Bolitho, said: 'Despite his young age, Mohammed was willing to target these two hotels and commit serious offences for his own personal gain. What this sentence shows is that the law will fall heavy on anyone using guns to commit crime and intimidate people. Robbery: The Arriva Hotel in central London which was held up by Ayuub Mohammed