A PAIR of bungling bank robbers will be cursing their bad luck after getting away with a G4S security Money Box… only to find it completely empty.
The thieves got away with the money box – which can hold up to £25,000 in cash – after one man tackled a G4S member of staff at a Barclays Bank in South East London.
Struggling with the G4S worker on the bank floor in Chislehurst, staff and customers watched on in shock as the robber grappled for the box.
After snatching it from the G4S worker, the robber made his getaway in a car driven by a second robber who was parked outside.
One onlooker said the man shouted ‘give me that box’ before ‘rugby tackling’ the G4S worker to the floor of the High Street branch.
“It all happened so fast,” the eyewitness said. “Before the G4S worker had time to react he was on the floor.
“The next minute the robber was out the door with the box.”
She added: “It was all very dramatic, I wasn’t sure what had happened until the event was over.”
But the robbers will be cursing their bad luck after sources close to the investigation confirmed that the box was, in fact, empty.
A G4S spokesman confirmed that the employee had activated security measures meaning a red die will have been ejected over any contents in the box as well as the robber as he opened it.
Head of Operational Risk for G4S Cash Solutions, Gareth Skinner said: "On Wednesday 22 February, one of our cash crew members was the victim of an attack during a routine service to a bank on Chislehurst High Street.
“Fortunately our colleague has not suffered any serious injuries but understandably has been shaken by the attack.”
He added: "We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police and I would urge anyone who may have been nearby and seen this attack to get in touch with the police or dial 101 so that those behind it can be brought to justice.”
The branch was shut for the remainder of the day, shortly after the incident at around 3 PM.
Forensic officers from the Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) and metropolitan police officers were on the scene shortly after the incident.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: "Detectives from the Met's Flying Squad are investigating at cash-in-transit robbery in Chislehurst. "Police were called at approximately 15:00hrs on Wednesday, 22 February to reports of the robbery on High Street.
"The custodian was pushed before the suspect stole the cash box."
A Barclays spokesperson said: “I can confirm that an incident took place at our branch in Chislehurst on Wednesday afternoon and the branch was closed for the rest of the day while the police completed their investigations.”
With increasing calls for a cashless society, it appears that Barclays are ahead of the game.
G4S use armoured vehicles to transfer their security boxes which are monitored via satellite tracking.
Glue and ink features are deployed in incidents such as this one, which renders bank notes unusable when triggered.
The UK launched its plastic £5 note last year and is gearing up to launch a 'fraud-proof' £1 coin in the coming months.
