Armed burglar takes Poppy cashbox

Police said the suspect was seen on CCTV at the sheltered housing

An armed burglar forced entry into sheltered accommodation in Worthing and stole a Poppy Appeal collection box.

Sussex Police said that the man used a knife to force the door open at the building in West Street.

Officers said he did not encounter staff or residents or seek to confront them in the early hours of Wednesday.

Det Sgt Mark Williams said a CCTV image of the suspect was being released in a bid to find him. It is not known how much cash was in the collection box.

'Unpleasant blow'

The police sergeant said: "This unusual event is clearly a cause for concern as he has broken into a home for the elderly armed with a knife.

"In addition, the targeting of a charity box has also dealt an unpleasant blow to the residents' faith in human nature.

"We urge anybody who knows who this man is to contact police immediately.

"We can only speculate at this time what might happen should any future victims challenge him."

The suspect was described as white, in his late teens to early 20s with a medium build, about 5ft 10ins tall, with fair cropped hair and a spiky fringe.

He was wearing a dark puffer jacket and jeans, and a white T-shirt and trainers.