Staff were left shaken after an attempted robbery at the BNZ in Mosgiel today.
Police are now searching for an armed man following the incident at the Gordon Rd branch, about 11.30am.
The bank now has signs on its doors saying it will be closed for the rest of the day "due to robbery''.
Police said no staff were injured; however, they were shaken up by the incident.
Patrols are being undertaken and the scene is cordoned off. The public is asked to avoid the area.
Businesses and customers in the area were surprised to hear of the robbery attempt.
Visique Peter Dick Optometrist receptionist Jill Obeek works right across the street but said the robbery was all over by the time she noticed something was going on.
"The first thing I noticed was a policeman walking down the street and I thought, 'oh, has he got a gun?' and then I thought, `no, it can't be'.
"I looked up a couple of times and saw police in the bank and I just thought they were doing their banking. It was all over by the time I noticed it.
"He [the robber] must have been pretty slick. I never saw anything.''
Campbell and Sons funeral director Cam Weston said he was holding a funeral on Gordon Rd at the time.
"One of our staff got a text to say don't go on Gordon Road because the police said there was an armed person there. So we asked everybody not to move until we had clarified the situation with the police.
"When I went to the police, they clarified there had been an armed robbery at the BNZ.''
