"£5,000 or I'll shoot": Bank robber raids branch using chilling hand-written NOTE

Police are hunting a callous bank robber who handed a cashier a chilling hand-written note which read: "£5,000 now or I'll shoot".

The unidentified hooded raider calmly walked into a NatWest branch in Salford, Manchester, and rather than shout his demands, placed the scrawled note on the counter without saying a word.

Although no weapon was seen or used, the cashier was so terrified she handed over more than £2,000 in cash and he calmly walked out.

A quantity of the cash was later recovered after a security dye pack activated and the offender abandoned the loot at the junction of Irlam Square and Ellery Road in Salford.

Police believe the robber, who was wearing a thick woollen hat and a black snood, may have been covered in ink from the security pack.

They have appealed for information from anyone who recognises the handwriting or spotted someone with stained hands or clothes.

Detective Constable Allan Barker, of Swinton CID, said: "The bank robber calmly walked up to a staff member, handed over a threatening note and then left with some cash.

"Thanks to the security measures in place, a sizeable amount of the cash has been recovered after the security dye activated. I am appealing for witnesses to come forward.

"Someone knows who this person is and we need your help to bring him to justice."

The robbery, at the branch of NatWest in Irlams O' Th' Height, near Salford, happened at around 3.15pm on Tuesday December 11.