A brave shopkeeper escaped armed robbers who were arrested minutes later after he took down their number plate and called the police.

The owner of the Sussex Sweet Shop, in Broadwater Street East, Worthing, was forced upstairs by robbers who emptied the safe and stole a mobile phone before tying him up with tape and locking him in the bathroom, at 5.30pm yesterday.

The men ran off but the victim managed to quickly free himself and was able to run downstairs in time to take the registration number of the robbers' car and call the police.

Search units, including the force helicopter, were sent out and the car was stopped with the suspects inside. All stolen property was recovered.

There were no customers in the shop at the time no other members of the public were hurt. Two men and a woman are currently in custody.

Anyone who witnessed what happened or who has information about the incident is asked to call police on 0845 6070999, quoting Op Bowbridge, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.