A FANCY dress-loving gunman – this time wearing fake Elvis sideburns – has struck for the second time in five days.

The man entered the Ladbrokes shop in Dyke Road, Seven Dials, Brighton at 10am yesterday and held a gun to the head of a female member of staff, who was left distressed by the ordeal.

The man, also wearing Aviator-style dark glasses, escaped with between £400 and £500 in cash.

Police believe the robber was also responsible for the raid at the William Hill betting shop in George Street, Hove, on Thursday.

On that occasion the man was wearing a fake bushy beard, dark rimmed but clear spectacles and a distinctive red beanie hat.

He pointed a gun at a member of staff ’s abdomen at 8.25am before fleeing without any money but with a set of keys.

In the first raid the man was last seen jogging towards Blatchington Road in Hove wearing dark clothes, possibly a tracksuit.

After yesterday’s raid the man fled the store with cash and turned right along Dyke Road, heading south.

Rob Gooch, 49, the manager of Tutti Frutti, across the road from Ladbrokes, said: “I saw a man loitering with his sideburns and wig on.

“I said to my colleague, ‘Have you seen the sideburns on that guy?’ but didn’t think that much more about it.

“Being Brighton, he didn’t seem that unusual.

“I saw him go past once and then come back the other way.”

Odette Lahiff, 24, a hairdresser at Bliss in Dyke Road, said: “We were walking past the shop at about the time of the robbery but we didn’t hear or see anything.

“It’s very worrying. There are only two of us at the store and the door’s open and you have a guy running around with a gun.”

Yesterday’s suspect is described as 6ft with dark hair. He was wearing false brown side burns, dark sunglasses and dark clothing.

Anyone with information about either incident should contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 quoting Operation Shelley or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.