In a dramatic heist straight out of a movie script, two armed robbers raided a bank in Sydney yesterday, taking hostages before escaping empty-handed through a hole in the wall.
The pair managed to flee despite the presence of 70 armed police officers and a police helicopter hovering over the bank, on the north side of Sydney Harbour.
Police said the two bandits managed to escape through a 'rabbit warren' of rooms into an adjoining unoccupied building.
The drama began at around 9.15am when a female employee arrived at the St George Bank in Neutral Bay and found a security door open.
Her suspicions aroused, she started to walk out of the bank but one of the robbers suddenly appeared and attempted to drag her back inside. After a struggle she managed to run away.
Customers waiting for the bank to open tried to tackle the man but backed off when he waved a gun.
Armed police from the Special Protection Group arrived shortly afterwards, surrounding the bank and appealing on loudspeaker for the robbers to give themselves up.