Customer restrains knife-wielding bank robber

The woman will reappear in court at the end of January. Photo / File

A heroic customer cut short a bank robbery in Lower Hutt by restraining the alleged knife-wielding robber.

A 48-year-old woman has been charged after the armed robbery at Kiwibank in Petone on Wednesday afternoon.

Police were called to the Jackson St branch about 4.30pm after the woman allegedly entered the bank with a knife and demanded money.

"She was given a sum of money by the teller before being grabbed from behind and restrained by a customer," a police spokesperson said.

"No one was injured and the money was recovered."

The woman has been charged with aggravated robbery and is due to reappear in the Hutt Valley District Court in late January.

She is alleged to have tried to take $640.

A Kiwibank spokeswoman said the incident happened late in the day on Wednesday.

"Our people were obviously shaken but they're all safe and obviously we're offering them support."