Masked raiders forced a woman to open a safe at gunpoint in a robbery at a Newhaven pub.

They grabbed more than £7,000 from Brewsters pub restaurant in The Drove and made the woman walk the short distance along the main A259 coast road before she was able to raise the alarm.

The victim, an assistant manageress in her late 20s, suffered severe shock and has been given a week's leave to help her recover.

The two robbers, wearing black clothing and balaclavas, are thought to have been hiding upstairs in the restaurant when it closed at about 10.20pm on Sunday.

They crept down a flight of stairs outside and burst through a fire door at the back before storming an office where the victim was cashing up. They emptied the safe and stuffed cash into a rucksack.

Detective Constable Gary Baker, leading the investigation, said: "This was a frightening experience for the victim. The incident lasted just minutes but its effects will stay for some time."

One of the raiders is in his late 30s and the second in his early 20s.

Contact Mr Baker on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.