Man charged over £2k bank raid in Rye

Police made a swift arrest following a robbery at a bank in Rye yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

By The Newsroom

Published 10th Sep 2010, 15:53 BST

Updated 10th Sep 2010, 15:54 BST

Officers were called to HSBC in the High Street at 3.50pm following a report that a balaclava-clad man had walked in with a bag and demanded money before walking back out.

Shortly afterwards, eagle-eyed witnesses saw a man acting suspiciously, flagged down a police car and pointed out the suspect, who was arrested on suspicion of robbery just eight minutes later. All the cash was recovered.

Only one customer was in the bank at the time and nobody was physically threatened or injured.

Alan Bourne, 44, of Marine Terrace, Folkestone, was charged today (Friday) with robbery of 2000 cash, and willl appear in custody at Hastings Magistrates Court on Saturday September 11.

* For more on this story, see next Friday's Rye Observer.