An armed robber has been filmed holding up a 20-year-old shopkeeper at gunpoint in Elm Stores in Hangleton.
Sussex Police released CCTV footage of the robbery in Elm Drive, Hove, and said: “About £500 was stolen by a masked man who threatened a member of staff with what appeared to be a handgun.
“The attack happened at around 8.30pm on Wednesday (16 September) while the woman assistant, 20, was alone.
“After she handed over cash, the robber left on foot in an unknown direction. The woman was shaken but unhurt.
“He left on foot down a footpath leading to Hove Cemetery and Knoll Park.
“A search was made and a tracker dog helped officers recover items of clothing discarded by the fleeing thief.
“He is described as white, 5ft 9in, around 18 to 21 years old, with light brown hair and green eyes.
“He was wearing a dark grey zip-up hooded top and dark blue sports trousers and the lower half of his face was masked.”
Detective Sergeant Chris Lane, of Brighton CID, said: “This was an unnerving but fortunately rare incident and no one was hurt.
“It is not clear if the gun involved was real or fake but we’re making every effort to trace the offender.
“From the route taken by the offender when he left, we think he may be local to the area and we’d like to talk to anyone who saw anything suspicious or who may just have been in the Elm Drive area at the relevant time.
“The trousers he was wearing appear maroon in the CCTV although the victim described them as blue.
“Having discarded some of his clothing he may have been walking about as if nothing had happened and we’d like to know who was around and who might have been seen.”
Anyone with information is asked to phone Susex Police on 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk.
Alternatively people can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
To see the CCTV footage, click here.
Sussex Police added that the time in the footage appeared as 7.32pm – 1932 hours – but there was a fault and the robbery actually happened at 8.30pm
