Dramatic footage of ram raid at petrol station

A man who has been in the country only four months has been left traumatised after witnessing a dramatic ram raid and robbery at an Auckland petrol station early this morning.

Iaw Arboleda Mendez, who is originally from the Philippines, was driving home from work with a colleague when they saw a grey sedan repeatedly reverse into a building at the Gull on Albany Highway.

Mendez filmed the incident on his phone and has supplied the video to the Herald.

He said the vehicle hit an ATM machine and two men, who had clothing covering their faces, got out of the car and grabbed the cash inside before fleeing.

Mendez immediately called 111 and provided a statement and the video footage to the police.

"I was so scared I was shaking this morning," he told the Herald.

"I thought New Zealand was a safe place."

The 37-year-old said he struggled to sleep last night because he was so frightened by what had happened.

He believed three men were involved - the two who can be seen getting out of the vehicle and a third, who was driving.

A police spokeswoman confirmed police received a report of a vehicle driving into a petrol station on Albany Highway about 2am.

Police are investigating and inquiries are continuing today.

A manager at the petrol station referred media requests to Gull's head office.

Gull general manager Dave Bodger said he was not able to comment on the specifics of the incident, expect to confirm that the staff member who was on shift at the time was doing okay.

"They retired to the safe room when the scumbags rammed into the window."

He said the petrol station was closed as police were investigating.