POLICE are appealing to the public for help in finding the man who robbed the Lunn Poly travel agency in Alton town centre on Saturday afternoon.
The incident happened at 5-20 pm when two men walked into the shop and threatened the three customers and three staff with a canister of CS spray.
The day's takings had already been removed from the premises, so the robbers made off with a small amount of foreign currency and sterling.
The alarm was raised, whereupon the two raiders fled from the rear of the building, where they were confronted by police.
At this point, one of the men released CS spray into the face of Pc Paul Jeans. The pair ran off, pursued by Pc Jeans and other officers. One of the men was arrested but the other still remains at large.
Detective sergeant Simon Casey said: "We believe that the man who got away attempted to steal a car from the car park at The Swan public house.
"We are working to establish exactly how he got away. It could have been by train or taxi, or he may have hitched a lift. We would urgently like to hear from anybody who saw a man matching the description in Alton or at the train station on Saturday evening."
The man is described as black and in his early 20s. He is 5' 10" tall, of skinny build and was wearing a dark baseball cap, a navy blue zip-up sports type jacket in a shiny fabric and carrying a silver drawstring carrier bag and a mobile telephone.
Police are also keen to speak to anyone who saw two men in a P-registered Nissan van in the town that day. Officers recovered the vehicle from the car park of Phillips Home Store in Drayman's Way on Saturday evening.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Alton CID on 0845 045 45 45 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.
A man has been charged with robbery, possession of a prohibited article, and use of CS spray with intent to resist arrest.
Mark Smith (23) of no fixed abode, appeared before Aldershot Magistrates on Monday. He was remanded in custody and is awaiting a trial date.