Brave staff at a betting shop saw off thieves as they attempted to grab cash from the till.

The manager of Ladbrokes in Winston Crescent, Eastbourne, pushed one of the raiders to the floor as he jumped onto a counter.

Police have praised his actions which resulted in both thieves running from the store, dropping half of the takings as they fled.

Officers said two men charged into the shop on Wednesday at about 5.15pm - one wearing a pair of tights over his head, the other using his jacket to hide his features.

He stood by the door while the other thief tried to vault over the counter and grab cash from the till.

Police said the manager, who has not been named, quickly reacted by shoving him back over the counter and onto the floor.

Detective Sergeant Lee Garland, of Sussex Police, said: "As soon as the thief grabbed a handful of money the manager realised what was happening and pushed him off.

"Both the thieves then ran off, dropping half the cash as they went."

Police said the pair escaped with less than £50 in the raid. Witnesses saw them getting into a white van parked nearby.

Officers were quick on the scene and searched the local area, finding a van which matched the description. One man has since been arrested.

DS Garland said: "Incidents of this kind are few and far between. I can reassure the public that no violence was used by the suspects and no weapons were seen or used."

Ladbrokes said staff were helping them with their enquiries.

Detective Inspector Ian Williams said: "The investigation into this matter gained great momentum and the arrest of one suspect and recovery of the suspected van had given us some strong lines of enquiries.

"I would like to take this opportunity in thanking all the public that have provided information to assist in this investigation. If anybody has further information, can they please contact us on 0845 6070999."