Raider none the richer

A burglar sawed off two metal bars, removed a ventilation fan and climbed through a 50cm-wide hole into an HSBC branch in San Po Kong yesterday, but fled empty-handed.

The attempted theft was discovered when the man set off an alarm in Hong Keung Street at about 3am. Security staff from HSBC went to the scene from their Tai Kok Tsui control room.

'The raider, armed with the screwdriver and covering his face with a handkerchief, was found standing near the rear door,' a police officer said.

'He threatened the security guard with the screwdriver and then asked the guard to give him a chance and let him go.' The guard called police, but the raider fled before they arrived.

CLIFFORD LO