Gun robberies could be linked, say police

The Monday robbery of a newsagents in Brighton Road, Worthing, may be connected to previous armed robberies in Worthing and Sompting

Broadway News & Gifts, in Brighton Road, was robbed just after 5.30am on Monday when a man carrying a black handgun threatened a shop assistant, who handed over the cash float.

The suspect, described as dark-skinned and wearing a black hooded top covering his face, as well as a black baseball cap, dropped the cash till tray outside the front door as he left.

He then ran eastwards along Brighton Road.

Detective Sergeant Simon Dunn said: “We are looking at two other recent armed robberies in the town to see if there are links.”

A bookmakers in Worthing and a store in Sompting have also been robbed in the last two weeks.

Officers were called to Ladbrokes in Rowlands Road on Thursday at about 7.53pm following a report of a man with a gun. Police said the offender walked into the bookies, where customers and staff were present, and demanded money from the till. He got away with about £70 in cash in a ‘bag for life’ and was seen to run north along Wordsworth Road.

The suspect is described as a white man in his mid-20s, between 5ft 10ins and 6ft, with distinctively puffy eyes. He was wearing a grey hoodie with a Nike logo across the back and a black scarf covering his face.

Sgt Dunn said: “This was an understandably distressing incident for the victims and witnesses involved, and thankfully no one was harmed.”

A spokesperson for Ladbrokes confirmed the company was assisting police with their enquiries.

The robbery in Sompting took place at Sompting Mini-Market in Seadown Parade at about 10.15pm on Saturday, August 13, during which a masked man armed with a gun demanded cash and cigarettes.

The suspect is described as a white man of slim build, aged 20 to 25 and about 5ft 10ins tall.

He was wearing a light grey hoodie and dark trousers, and a dark grey woollen hat. The man’s face was partially concealed with a black face covering.

While accounts of the suspect are not the same, the weapon used in all three incidents is described by police as a ‘black handgun’.

Witnesses are asked to contact police at by email at [email protected] or by calling 101.