Post Office Raids

A TERRIFIED woman cowers as an armed robber holds a gun to her head in what police believe may have been his THIRD raid on the same Post Office in just 10 weeks.

The scene was captured on CCTV and released by Sussex Police after the Post Office in Brighton was targeted for the third time on Friday (December 3rd).

The balaclava-clad raider entered the building on Dyke Road at 9.20am, grabbed the customer and held his weapon to her temple.

Staff handed over more than £1,000 and he fled in a black P-reg Ford Mondeo LX with a distinctive white bonnet.

The car was abandoned a few streets away and the robber continued on foot  along Brighton's main shopping drag, Western Road, when it was full of Christmas shoppers.

Police recovered the car and a gun and are testing them for evidence.

They believe the suspect bought the car from a private owner outside the Brighton area a few days before the robbery. Investigators want to hear from anyone who saw it over the previous week.

The suspect was wearing tracksuit bottoms with three white stripes down the side and a dark top with a light-coloured emblem on his upper left arm.

Detective Inspector Lee Horner said: "This is not a victimless crime. The staff at the Post Office are just like everybody else in the community trying to earn a living.

They have been targeted three times now, which is naturally causing them huge distress and we are very keen to catch this man to put their minds at ease.

"This man has used a very distinctive car, a dark Mondeo with a white bonnet, that he only had for a few days before this incident and he was wearing distinctive striped trousers.

"I am convinced that somebody close to him knows who this suspect is and I urge them to come forward and give us the information so we can out a stop to this man's spree of offending before somebody is hurt."

The same Post Office was raided by a gunman on September 27 and again on October 4. Police are investigating whether the same man was responsible for all three.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 quoting Operation Dunham or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.