A MASKED robber burst into a convenience store and threatened staff while brandishing a knife.

Shock footage recorded by a witness shows the moment the man went into the One Stop in Nevill Road in Hove at 9.40pm on Sunday.

The man, whose face in masked by a white scarf and a North Face beanie hat, broke into three tills and stuff notes into a plastic carrier bag.

He then vaulted over the counter and ran out of the store, past a shocked witness who recorded it on his mobile phone.

Police say he had threatened a shop assistant with a knife, then ran off to a car parked outside.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said: “I was waiting for my mate to pick me up in the car park. I saw the door being pushed open and it was pretty loud.

"A guy just jumped over the counter, so that’s when I started recording it. The shop was still open, but I don’t think there were any customers inside at the time.

"He seemed to be grabbing scratchcards, I couldn't see if he took any money.

“There were two staff members in there and I saw them both, they looked shocked.

"My main focus was trying to get footage of him."

The witness at first recorded the robber through the doors of the shop as the robber pilfered money from the tills.

He then moved away as his friend had arrived, but managed to capture the criminal running off from the store, past a shocked store worker.

The witness added: “He jumped over the counter and ran out down Nevill Road. I couldn’t believe it.”

Now police are investigating the incident.

They said the suspect is believed to be in his late 30s, and had threatened staff with a knife before taking money from the three tills.

He was wearing a blue beanie hat, a black jacket, khaki green jogging bottoms, and black trainers.

In a statement the police said: "A man who threatened a shop assistant with a knife in Hove escaped in a car parked outside.

"The man entered the One Stop shop in Nevill Road around 9.30pm on Sunday. He jumped over the counter, threatened the assistant and took money from three tills.

"He used one of the store's carrier bags to put the mone into. He then jumped back over the counter, left the shop and made off in a dark-coloured car, possibly a black Vauxhall.

"He is described as white, stocky, around 5ft 6ins, and in his late 30s. He was wearing a black fleece zip up jacket, khaki green jogging bottoms, black trainers and light blue North Face beanie hat."

Anyone with information about the robber is asked to report it on the Sussex Police website or call 101 and quote incident reference 1208 of 23/09. Alternatively call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.