Armed offenders use rifle to rob Four Square in Whanganui East of cigarettes and cash

Staff were shocked when two offenders entered Four Square with a rifle on Sunday, stealing cigarettes and cash. Photo / Stuart Munro

Two staff members are having counselling after they were caught in the crossfire of an armed robbery at Four Square in Whanganui East last night.

Two offenders dressed head to toe in protective gear entered the store on Moana St at 7.40pm and one of them, of a large build, was holding a rifle.

They used the butt of the rifle to smash open a case behind the counter containing cigarettes, which were stolen along with cash from the till.

Owner of Four Square Eastbrook Mark Oliver said he wasn't yet sure how much had been stolen, but that wasn't his main concern.

"Our main concerns are with the two members of staff that were impacted directly as a result of it. We're supporting them as best as we can.

"We train the team as part of induction about what to do in this situation, but you don't think something like this is going to happen. They were very brave."

Oliver is usually last to leave the store when it closes at 8pm, but had left last night with an early start planned for the morning.

That early start became a late one as Whanganui police conducted a forensic examination this morning and repairs were made before the store opened at 11am.

Oliver has owned the store for three years and has never experienced serious offending there before.

"There have been a lot of robberies of local businesses, but that was guys with hammers and bars. None of those guys were armed like this," he said.

"It's traumatic for the people involved, they're shocked, particularly when we've got such a good community here with really friendly customers that all know each other."

The offenders left the store in a white station wagon or people mover, described by police as square or box-shaped with tinted windows, roof racks and no number plates.

They travelled along Moana St, turned right onto Boydfield St and then left on to Young St - heading towards the river.

Detective sergeant Craig Gorringe is urging anyone who saw the vehicle before or after the offending to call Whanganui Police or Crimestoppers.

The incident follows a spate of offending in Whanganui East, including a car that was found burnt out on the Number 3 Line last week and several car windscreens that were smashed.