A man wearing a Santa Claus hat threatened staff with a knife in a robbery at a Brighton shop last night (Tuesday 20 December).
He went into the Co-op store in Lustrells Vale, Saltdean, just after 9pm and threatened a woman who works there with a knife.
He forced her to the office and grabbed another member of staff and made him open the safe.
Sussex Police said: “The suspect stole more than £2,000 before running out of the store into School Lane and on to Chiltington Way.
“He was pursued by another staff member who heard him get into a car believed to be a silver Ford Focus hatchback, which made off down Tremola Avenue towards the seafront.”
The robber was described as white, 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in tall, of stocky build and wearing black jogging bottoms, a black North Face hooded top, a Santa hat with printed Santa feet on the top, a black scarf covering his face apart from his eyes and black gloves. He spoke with an accent, believed to be Liverpudlian or northern.
Detective Inspector Andy Wolstenholme said: “This was a violent robbery which left the staff shaken and shocked. We want to hear from anyone who saw the offender in the store or running away afterwards or who has details of the car used to escape.
“We are considering if this offence is linked to another similar knifepoint robbery at the Co-op store in Old London Road, Brighton, on Friday (16 December).”
Anyone with information is asked to phone Sussex Police on 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 1403 of 20/12.
Stop advertising how money was robbed!!
@Frank Are you sure it was a kinfe, rather than a sowrd?