DETECTIVES last night appealed for witnesses to an armed robbery at a North-East bank.

The raid happened at Lloyds TSB, in Station Road, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, at 4.45pm on Friday.

Three or four men, all masked and wearing dark clothing, fled with money after they threatened staff.

A police spokesman said they fled by the rear exit of the bank and ran off down an embankment on to Burnopfield Road, where they got into a dark saloon car and drove off towards Busty Bank and Burnopfield.

The robbery comes almost a year after an armed raid on the Lloyds TSB branch in nearby Ryton, in which thieves stole £78,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0191-454 7555.