Would-Be Robber’s Unlocky Break

This is the moment a hapless gunman flees empty-handed after being told by apologetic shop staff he had turned up too late for the till’s timelock.

The would-be robber had pulled out a handgun and a bag and ordered staff to fill it during the raid in Graz, Styria State, Austria, just after 6pm on 9th August.

But cool-headed workers told him he was too late and he should have robbed them an hour earlier.

CCTV video footage of the bizarre raid shows a female shop assistant staring down the barrel of the gun telling him: “But I can’t get into the till.”

Then her boss can be heard adding: “Actually it doesn’t work.”

Baffled, the gunman says: “But it has to.”

Without hesitating the woman then tells him again: “No, I can’t get in.”

Then the manager explains: “Unfortunately it’s impossible. We’ve turned it off. At six, it’s over.”

He adds: “Look, at six it’s over, the registry till is shut by now. You should have come an hour earlier. That’s how it is, unfortunately.”

At that point, the masked gunman starts to leave the store but comes back apparently just to make sure.

The shop manager then tells him: “You can come over here and have a look. It happens automatically. I’m sorry.”

Police – who have not revealed the identity of the shop staff – say they are investigating the botched heist.

In a statement from 11th August obtained by Newsflash, Styrian Police said: “The perpetrator asked for cash but fled without any loot.

“The incident could be linked to robberies in Preding near Weiz and Kemeten in Burgenland State.”

The statement continues: “The Graz State Prosecution ordered the publication of a still and video footage of the shop’s surveillance camera.”

Police said the suspect may be between 25 and 35 years old, around 180 centimetres (71 inches) tall.

He weighs around 80 kilogrammes (12.6 st) and speaks the local dialect, they added.

Netizens were stunned by the encounter.

‘__Lis_a__’ commented: “Most polite (attempted) robbery ever. Who claimed we’re unfriendly? Oh wait, that survey was just about the people of Vienna.”

‘Suchsuch’ pointed out: “Didn’t wear the mask properly, not even for the holdup.”

‘Herbygro3’ emphasised: “No raid after finishing time, it’s sacred!”

‘Fraupalatschink’ said: “Apart from all the bizarre ongoings, it’s nice to see how the staffers acted in a de-escalating way.”

And ‘Fairly.fleur’ joked: “As a robber, I’d feel very embarrassed. I’d quit!”