Daring raider robs busy bank with watered-down weapon

A BRAZEN thief armed with a water gun and travelling on a bicycle robbed a busy Limerick bank yesterday.

The masked man walked into the Ulster Bank in Castletroy armed with what gardaí now believe was a water gun shortly after 3.30pm yesterday.

Wearing a ski-mask, he demanded cash from staff at the bank and quickly made off again on a bicycle.

Gardaí would not disclose how much was taken in the daring raid but it’s understood the masked raider made off with around €1,000 in cash.

“No one was injured in the incident but obviously staff were traumatised as it looked like the intruder was armed,” said a garda source.

“We understand however that he was in fact carrying a water gun,” he added.

No arrests have yet been made and gardaí at Henry Street garda station were last night investigating the incident.

In a separate incident, gardaí at Henry Street are also investigating a robbery at a city centre jewellery store, where a 19-year-old youth swiped a tray of gold rings worth a couple of thousand euro.

The youth entered the shop on Sarsfield Street shortly after 3pm, stole the tray of rings and made off in the direction of Arthur’s Quay.