Gun-toting masked robbers threaten guards at bank

The latest bank raid is the second in two days in retail areas busy with school holiday crowds. Photo / APN

Police were last night hunting two men after the second bank in as many days was targeted by robbers who threatened security guards with guns.

The armed robberies happened within a few kilometres of each other, at Sylvia Park and in Panmure, which were busier than normal because of school holiday crowds.

Yesterday's raid occurred outside the Sylvia Park ANZ.

About 10.30am, two men clad in black with their faces covered by balaclavas demanded money from Armourguard security officers before escaping in a blue Mazda.

The car was found abandoned soon after in the Countdown carpark in Mt Wellington where witnesses spotted them getting into a stolen silver BMW.

On Wednesday, a security guard was assaulted after being threatened with a gun at the first robbery, at the National Bank in Queen St, Panmure.

Two armed men, again wearing dark clothing, threatened the guards about 3pm.

Four customers were in the bank but were not physically harmed. The getaway vehicle, a 1999 Mazda Familia hatchback, was found abandoned in Panmure three hours later. It was stolen from Ellerslie Racecourse earlier.

Auckland City police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said: "Anyone confronted with people like this shouldn't do anything to aggravate the situation further."

A woman who works near the ANZ Bank at Sylvia Park told the Herald there was an increased police presence at the mall all day.

Many businesses were unaware of the robbery.

The robbers were described as Maori or Pacific Islanders, of average height and aged between 20 and 30.

One was solidly built and the other was of medium build.

Police want to hear from anyone who saw the silver BMW (registration EGZ366) from the Sylvia Park robbery or the Mazda Familia (registration ELY979) from the Panmure robbery on Wednesday.

* Anyone with information about either robbery should call Glen Innes CIB on (09) 524-1920 or email richard.sami@police.govt.nz