The hold-up took place at Coral in Broadfield Barton shortly before 9am.

A man in his twenties entered the shop and threatened staff with what has been described as a handgun.

He took an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing on foot.

A chopper was scrambled at 9.10am to hunt down the robber but he is still at large.

Cops swarmed the Barton, sealing off the area with tape while a forensics team fingerprinted the betting shop.

A dog handler searched in nearby Creasys Drive. It appears that officers think the offender dropped something there.

PC Mark Fox (dog handler for PD Benson): "I found nothing on the roundabout, we're searching for discarded property, weapons, money, bags, clothes, anything.

"I give Benson a command to find something and if it smells of human scent he'll find it and he will lie down next to it.

"We've searched the whole of the roundabout and the wooded area nearby, basically wherever someone is likely to have thrown something."

An unnamed resident who lives in the flat above the raided shop said:
"We just heard the helicopter at about 9.10 am but we didn't know anything was going on. Then we came down and saw the area all taped off."

"It must have been quite quick because we didn't see anything and we live just above the shop."

A spokesman for Corals said they would be looking at CCTV footage.

The suspect is described as black and in his 20s and was wearing black trousers with a white stripe down the side.

He was also wearing a black hooded top with the hood up and carrying a black rucksack with a yellow stripe on it.

No shots were discharged and no one was injured.

If you have any information or see anyone matching the description please contact Sussex Police immediately on 0845 60 70 999. Information can also be left anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Did you see anything? Call the newsdesk on 01293 845051 or email lesley.hixon@sussexnewspapers.co.uk

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