POLICE are hunting three robbers who carried a bank raid via a dentists' surgery.

Barclay's Bank, in Four Lane Ends, Newcastle, was targeted on Christmas Eve by three masked men.

The trio slipped in from the Roseborough dental surgery above at about 2pm and escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.

The gang is thought to have spent the previous night camped in the surgery.

Police are as yet unable to describe precisely how the robbers entered the bank from the floor above for fear of prejudicing their investigation.

A police spokeswoman said: "All men were masked and one was believed to be wearing a red boilersuit."