Staff shaken after SkyCity bank hold-up

Police at the scene of the robbery. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Police are hunting a man who escaped with cash from a BNZ at the SkyCity casino complex yesterday, the latest in a series of bank robberies across Auckland.

Detective Sergeant Phil Cox, of Auckland City police, said the man passed a note to a teller demanding money about 1.20pm. He couldn't say how much money was taken.

The man was fair-skinned, between 1.70m and 1.80m tall and of slim build. He had sunglasses and a cap.

BNZ national security and fraud manager Owen Loeffellechner said staff were shaken, but unharmed.

Bank robbery was a crime against people, not big corporate companies, he said.

"How many employment environments do people go to and have a shotgun stuck in their face?"

Mr Loeffellechner said there had been an increasing number of robberies over the past few years and everyone in the community could play a role in preventing them.

"We can't do it on our own. It's highly alarming, it's distressing [for staff].

"For the teller, who is having direct contact with the offender, it's like in their mind they're thinking, 'Where could this escalate to?"'

Mr Loeffellechner said even if the robber didn't have a weapon it was still highly traumatic for staff.

- Anyone with any information should call 0800 CRIMESTOPPERS or 0800- 555-111.