Two robbers armed with a knife and handgun threatened to kill a female assistant as they held up an off-licence late last night.

It is the second time Thresher's, in Broadwater Road, Worthing, has been raided in the last six months. The two balaclava-clad men, believed to be teenagers, entered the store just after 10pm and demanded money from the till.

She handed over a small quantity of cash and the robbers made off in the direction of Brighton Road. The terrified woman closed the shop and called the police, who conducted a search of the area but found no sign of the two men.

A police spokesman said: "It was extremely traumatic for the woman involved. We are very keen to track down the two men responsible for what must have been a terrifying ordeal. It's bad that the same shop has been targeted twice in just a few months."

No one was injured in the robbery. Police warned businesses in the Broadwater area to be extra vigilant last September when another member of staff at Thresher's

was threatened with a knife.

Alldays store was also robbed in the same month. Nobody at Thresher's was available for comment.

Anyone with information should call Det Con John Fahy at Worthing police station on 0845 60 70 999.

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