"If you don't give me the money, you know what's going to happen."

Those were the words of an armed robber who threatened a 20-year-old shop assistant before making off with £500 in cash.

She was counting up that day's takings at Elm Stores in Hangleton, Hove, when the masked gunman entered, pointed a shotgun-style weapon at her and threw a bag on the counter.

The shop assistant asked: "Is it real?" and the robber broke open the gun to intimidate her before making the threat.

After getting the cash he fled. The woman was badly shaken but unhurt after the robbery.

Yesterday, a woman in the shop, who only wanted to be referred to as Suzie, told The Argus: "I think she's very brave to have asked if the gun was real.

"It wasn't a lot of money but he planned it for a while. He wasn't looking at the security cameras so he knew where they were.

"She panicked in the moment and gave him the money but that's what I would have done, too."

The shop owner, who only wanted to be named as Max, said his family has only been running the shop for three weeks, and they are now "very afraid and tired". He said: "It's important that the police catch him."

Suzie said the victim was only studying English in the city for two months and is going back to her native Turkey on Tuesday.

She added: "We are the only friends she has here and now this has happened."

Steven Martin, 57, lives near to the shop and went along half an hour after the robbery.

He said: "I went there and they were banging on the window to say they were closed, which is unusual.

"If I had been along half an hour earlier, me and my dog would have got him. I have used this shop for 22 years and it has stressed me out."

Rene De Vos, 48, of Elm Drive, said: "It's our little local family shop. It's pretty shocking for this sort of neighbourhood."

Detective Inspector Andy Wolstenholme, of Brighton CID, said: "This was an unnerving but fortunately rare incident.

"It is not clear if the gun involved was real or fake, but we're making every effort to trace the offender.

"Having discarded some of his clothing the offender may have been walking about as if nothing had happened."

A search was made and a tracker dog helped officers recover some of the clothes discarded by the fleeing robber.

He is described as white, 5ft 9in, between 18 and 21 years old, with light brown hair and green eyes.

He was wearing a dark grey zip-up hooded top and dark blue sports trousers.

The robbery happened at 8.15pm on Wednesday.

Any witnesses or anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101, quoting serial 1364 of September 16.

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You do not have to leave your name.