A GOLF club worker was tied up, robbed and put in an industrial fridge-freezer by three masked men.

A 55-year-old man, who is an employee at Hassocks Golf Club, was inside the premises in London Road, Hassocks, on Saturday night when three men with their faces covered entered and demanded to know where the safe was.

After the group entered the club at around 8.15pm they struck him with an unknown solid weapon causing a cut to his head and then ordered him to get into the fridge-freezer.

His hands were loosely tied and a blanket was placed over his head.

While the victim was shut in the fridge-freezer he said he could hear banging sounds as the suspects broke into the club’s office.

They stole his wallet containing cash and his mobile phone.

Eventually they left and the victim freed himself from the fridge-freezer using the unlock button.

He alerted police and went to hospital to be treated.

Two of the robbers were white. They all wore hoodies and gloves, had their faces covered with bandanas and were allegedly carrying weapons, including a hammer.

Detective constable Adam Tidy said: “This was a frightening ordeal for the victim who is now recovering at home.”

Witnesses can call 101 quoting serial 1186 of 13/11.