Robber wearing niqab targets Birmingham Lloyds TSB bank

A man wearing a niqab face veil has robbed a security guard outside a bank in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police said The Group 4 guard was threatened by two men armed with a hammer who took a box containing a substantial quantity of cash.

The incident happened at 1130 BST on Tuesday outside Lloyds TSB bank on Coventry Road, near the junction of Cyril Road in Small Heath.

One of the men wore the niqab and the other a white salwar kameez tunic.

'Badly shaken'

The offenders ran down Cyril Road before getting into a small, light-coloured car.

It was driven a short distance and collided with a lamppost. The two men and the getaway driver then fled from the scene.

The robber wearing the niqab was described as black and wore dark clothing.

The second man, who wore the salwar kameez, was also black and wore three-quarter length baggy trousers.

The security guard was not injured but was said to be badly shaken by the incident.

Detective Sergeant Mick Ross said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything out of the ordinary in the days leading up to the attack or on the day itself."