Three raiders threatened two female off-licence workers and made off with cash from the safe.

They burst into Thresher in High Street, Billingshurst, and grabbed a 46-year-old assistant.

They demanded access to the safe and stole hundreds of pounds, Whitbread gift vouchers and also from the assistant's handbag.

Two of the robbers were black and the third was white. The man who grabbed the assistant had heavily-bandaged hands.

Detective Constable Steve Pincott said: "He was using his arms as if both hands were injured. The same man knocked the CCTV cameras out of the way."

Throughout the robbery, which happened just before 10pm on Sunday, one of the men stood by the door talking into a mobile phone.

The assistant and her 19-year-old colleague were both left shocked and distressed and are recovering at home.

The robbers were between 18 and their late 20s.

Mr Pincott said: "I'd like to hear from anyone who saw people acting suspiciously in and around Jengers Mead, perhaps in the car park or at the back in Coombe Hill.

"They could have been sitting in a car or talking on a mobile."

The robbers made off with the CCTV tape. The cassette is made by Maxwell and anyone finding it is asked to put it straight in a bag and call the police.

Anyone with information is asked to ring 0845 6070999.