POLICE have revealed a second bank was robbed in Temple Fortune last week just metres from the scene of Saturday's smash and grab raid on a cash machine.

The first incident happened last Monday at about 9.10am in the Natwest branch in Finchley Road.

A Securicor delivery driver was jumped on by a man as he removed 5,000euros from a sealed box.

The envelope containing the cash was grabbed from the customer counter by the man, as the guard lost his balance in the scuffle.

The security alarm was activated, but the man, described as black, in his 20s and about 5ft 8”, ran out of the branch and away down Hayes Crescent.

Police said they had contacted a number of witnesses and were reviewing CCTV footage.

Just days later, officers from Finchley flying squad foiled an attempted burglary at the Barclays bank, about 100 metres down the road.

On that occasion, a grabber lorry was used to claw a cash machine from the front window of the branch at about 3am on Saturday morning.

Three men have been arrested and charged in relation to the incident.

Earlier this month, Barnet Council announced it was bringing forward plans to install a £150,000 CCTV system along the road, following a recent crimewave.

One hundred crimes were reported to Barnet Police between July and December last year along the short stretch of Finchley Road and in the surrounding area. It led to planning chiefs agreeing to start work on placing five security cameras in Temple Fortune, two years ahead of schedule.

In a report presented to Cabinet, it highlighted “a significant public concern regarding street crime in Temple Fortune and the associated lack of public space CCTV”.