By PAUL MILLAR
DETECTIVES fear a brazen armed thief who terrified bank staff during a daylight robbery at Newcomb could strike again unless caught.
The masked bandit, who was wearing a distinctive pink hooded jumper, covered his face as he entered the Westpac Bank in the heart of a busy shopping complex just before lunchtime on Wednesday.
The Armed Crime Squad, which has taken charge of the investigation, revealed to the Independent that the robber pulled out a black handgun and demanded cash.
A terrified staff member forced at gunpoint to hand over cash was a long-time employee of the bank, the squad said.
Detectives believed that the gunman could be a local because he knew his way around the area and they were unaware of any indication he had a car waiting.
The detectives were also concerned the gunman hit a bank knowing it was equipped with high-tech security and was in an area with plenty of CCTV coverage.
“It’s something you do not see much of these days,’’ said the Armed Crime Squad’s John Elliott.
“It’s one out of the box, that’s for sure.”
Detective Senior Constable Elliot said police “absolutely” held fears the gunman could strike again.
The bandit stuffed the cash into a black backpack before fleeing on foot along Wilsons Rd. Witnesses reported several sightings of him in nearby streets.
A Westpac spokeswoman said staff were receiving support and counselling.
The branch reopened yesterday with additional staff on hand to help out, while regional managers were also in attendance.
Westpac called in experts to reassess security and the bank passed on CCTV footage to armed crime investigators.
“We take security seriously, and the safety of staff and customers are our priority,’’ the bank’s spokeswoman said.
Nobody was in injured during the robbery.
Police described the robber as about 175cm tall, medium build and also wearing a black balaclava, white gloves and dark tracksuit pants.
