Man arrested following Invercargill dairy robbery

Photo / file

A 27-year-old Invercargill man has been arrested following an armed robbery of a Southland dairy yesterday.

Invercargill Police were called to the incident at the Four Square store in Dunns Rd, Otatara, just after 1.30pm.

A man had entered the store brandishing a gun, demanding money from the shop assistant, police said.

He fled on foot with cash. The shop assistant was unhurt, but shaken after the incident.

Nearby Otatara Primary School was temporarily locked down as a precautionary measure after the incident.

Southland Area Commander Inspector Lane Todd today said the arrested man would appear in the Invercargill District Court on Monday, charged with with aggravated robbery.

"This serious incident is a rarity in Southland, and I am very proud of my team's efforts and hard work in managing the response and investigation phases resulting in a positive resolution."

Mr Todd thanked the wider community for assistance and support in resolving this incident.

"Police would like to thank the school community for their patience yesterday in what was a stressful situation for everyone involved, the safety of the community was our top priority.

Several items of interest had been seized by police, Mr Todd said.