Man in Lower Hutt District Court on robbery charges

A 23-year-old man will appear in the Lower Hutt District Court charged with two bank robberies in Petone and Upper Hutt.

Detective Sergeant Brent Murray, Lower Hutt CIB, said the man is charged with yesterday morning's robbery at the Westpac Bank in Petone. He is also charged with the robbery of the ANZ Bank in Upper Hutt on 23 June.

Quick work by bank staff yesterday in providing vehicle descriptions and a rapid response from police across Lower Hutt resulted in the alleged offender being stopped by a CIB patrol within 20 minutes on State Highway 2 near Belmont.

The man was also wanted on warrant to arrest for several burglary and vehicle offences in the upper North Island.