KEY POINTS:
Police say a knife-point robbery at a Hamilton service station this morning could have been prevented.
Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Page said the Caltex service station on Avalon Drive in the western suburbs was robbed by a pair of men shortly after 1am.
The sole attendant allowed one of the men to enter the store rather using the night pay window.
When the man entered through the locked automatic doors he pulled on a balaclava and produced a knife.
A second man, also wearing a balaclava, followed him into the store and the pair took cash and cigarettes before leaving the attendant in a rear toilet and escaping.
Although both offenders hid their faces, police said they hoped security camera footage would provide images of sufficient quality to provide to the media.
Mr Page said the robbery could have been prevented if the attendant had followed police safety advice given two weeks earlier.
"It's somewhat frustrating for those investigating such robberies that this situation was avoidable," said Mr Page.
"Two weeks ago, police met with service station operators to discuss best practice and how to keep their staff safe."
- NZPA
