Bank heist, carjacking in Tauranga

A man yesterday robbed a Tauranga bank at gunpoint and then threatened drivers in the street to give up their cars for his escape.

Police were last night hunting the man, who used a revolver to hold up two tellers at the Westpac bank on Cherrywood Place in Otumoetai at 3.15pm and left with an undisclosed sum of cash.

He wore red or orange overalls and a black balaclava.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner of the Tauranga CIB said the man "assaulted several members of the public trying to get a motor vehicle to decamp".

He attempted to get into a car with an elderly woman inside and then a car with an elderly man before another woman gave up her vehicle.

Mr Turner said the vehicle owners were shaken but not physically harmed and were receiving help from Victim Support.

The stolen car was found dumped a short while later in Otumoetai's Fairmont Place.

A person who was in the area at the time told the Herald he saw a man crossing the road in front of the bank.

"I almost ran him over," he said.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said the man was wearing overalls and carrying a black sports bag and "he was going into the bank".

A woman from a neighbouring shop said two women had rushed inside and asked her to call 111.

She did not see what had gone on but said one was a worker at an ANZ Bank next to the Westpac.

The ANZ staff member would not comment.

Mr Turner said police would like to hear from anyone who saw a man fitting the robber's description at the Cherrywood shops around the time of the hold-up.

"Those red-orange overalls are very distinctive and would have stood out," he said.