Bank robber handed gun to cashier

Police are hunting an absent-minded robber who accidentally handed his gun to a cashier instead of a swag bag.

The thief raided the Halifax bank in Cheapside in the City of London and demanded £700,000 in cash, reports the Daily Telegraph.

But after making his demands, the man, wearing shades and a flat cap, gave his gun to the cashier instead of a bag.

The male cashier froze as the crook realised his mistake and made a grab for his gun before running off as the security shutters came down.

Bank staff immediately raised the alarm, but the thief escaped after stealing a bank worker's bike and pedalling off.

A police source said: "This man is not the sharpest tool in the box.

"The guess is that he is very inexperienced and panicked when he approached the cashier, handing over his gun instead of a bag by mistake."

Bank bosses have now put up a £25,000 reward for information about the robbery and police have also released CCTV of the man just before he entered the bank on October 22.