The Mobil service station attendant threatened for cash and cigarettes by men brandishing weapons, "handled it really well'', the attendant's boss says.
The attendant who faced three masked men armed with a gun and a sword early yesterday, was ``shaken up'' and would return to work when he was up to it, Mobil Forbury manager Robyn O'Callaghan said.
"From what I have seen on camera, he handled it [the holdup] really well. He did what anyone should do and gave them what they wanted.''
The wanted men had not been located by late last night.
It was the third similar incident at the Hillside Rd premises in just over a year.
Mrs O'Callaghan, who manages three other Mobil stations in Dunedin, said the area it was situated in, the demographic and 24-hour trading, made it a target.
It appeared to be younger people, she said.
"They don't want to give up smoking, do they? And they want it for nothing.''
The service station did not use a pre-paid window in the early hours, preferring to let people come into the store to pay for fuel at any time.
"Dunedin people don't like having to do their money first,'' Mrs O'Callaghan said.
"I think Dunedin people need to be educated around doing that.''
It would be up to the Mobil head office to decide whether pre-paying for fuel would be introduced for the early hours, she said.
The armed police cordon was lifted and the service station opened again about 2pm after detectives and a forensics team finished their scene investigation.
A steady stream of people arrived for fuel immediately after it reopened.
An employee behind the counter yesterday afternoon was "not at all'' worried for his safety.
He believed police would track the three men down.
"They will get them. Dunedin's a small place,'' he said.
Police said they were aware of other similar burglaries at the same premises but did not believe the burglaries were connected.
The service station was robbed in May and September last year.
Cigarettes were also the target in the May incident, involving masked assailants, while in September two men, again with their faces covered, attempted to rob the station before presenting an axe to police at a nearby dairy.
Other business owners in the area were becoming increasingly aware of security after yesterday's robbery, the latest in a string of incidents in the area.
The nearby Forbury Pharmacy had also been a target in the past and owner Kim Wallis was concerned about increased activity in the area.
"Of course we worry about it but there's nothing much we can do,'' she said.
"We continually feel for the [Mobil] staff as we know exactly what that feels like.''
In 2012 the pharmacy was held up at knife-point twice in the space of six months by the same offender. On the second occasion, staff were tied up while he helped himself to prescription drugs.
Armed police set up a cordon at the scene about 2.50am yesterday.
The offenders were described as in their 20s, wearing black clothing and had their faces covered.
One was short, of solid build, and the other two were tall and of medium build, police said in a statement yesterday.
Witnesses to the robbery were still being sought.
• Dunedin police (03) 471-4800, Crimestoppers 0800 555-111.
