CCTV footage has emerged of the moment a robber in a Santa hat threatened a woman with a kitchen knife before breaking her ribs and stealing cash.
The incident occurred in a Co-op store in Saltdean, East Sussex, shortly before Christmas, but the CCTV footage had only just been released.
The man threatened a female staff member with a large kitchen knife and bundled her into a back office.
He then forced another staff member to open the shop’s safe.
During the ordeal the female staff member was assaulted and sustained a number of broken ribs.
Police are appealing for information on the identity of the man who stole more than £2,000 from the safe.
He was pursued by another staff member who saw him enter a silver Ford Focus hatchback before making off down Tremola Avenue.
The assailant was last seen driving towards the seafront just after 9pm on December 20.
The robber was white, between 5ft 9in and 5ft 11in, 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.
Police believe the robbery was linked to a similar armed robbery at a Co-op shop in nearby London Road just four days previously.
On that occasion, two assailants threatened staff with a kitchen knife and stole more than £2,500.
Both men were white and spoke with Irish accents, police revealed.
Detective Inspector Andy Wolstenholme said: "This was a violent robbery which left the staff shaken and shocked.
“While I acknowledge the lack of facial detail in the picture will make it hard for the public to help, we are hoping by releasing the image that someone might remember seeing this man in the area looking suspicious or running away afterwards.
"It's possible you may recognise him from his build or the way he moves. We would also be keen to keen to hear from anyone who has details of the car used to escape.”
He added: "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, December 16."
