DETECTIVES are today still searching for an armed robber who targeted security guards delivering cash from a van to a building society.

Residents of Paddock Wood, near Tunbridge Wells, awoke yesterday to find police scouring their village for clues as to who carried out the robbery.

The two security guards from Group 4 Securicor were robbed at gunpoint as they filled a Nationwide cashpoint, in Commercial Road, at about 10.50pm, on Wednesday.

Police have not confirmed how much money was taken in the raid.

Lee Porritt, manager of Totesport Bookmakers, in Commercial Road, said: “It’s just a normal village but the number of police I saw I thought there must have been a murder.”

Another woman said the police search made her feel anxious and that the car park in Commercial Road was unusually empty on Thursday morning.

Valerie Wiltshire, owner of Katie Jane Florist, also in Commercial Road, said: “It’s concerning us. In the past 26 years there have only been two big incidents in Paddock Wood. It’s usually very quiet.”

The two Securicor guards were loading the cash machine when a man in a balaclava, a dark top and beige or khaki trousers, appeared and threatened them with a gun.

The robber demanded they hand over the money and ran off to the car park opposite, where he got into a waiting car believed to be a dark BMW or Rover.

The car, which may have been driven by a second person, sped off along Maidstone Road.

Neither guard was hurt and the gun was not fired, but a number of boxes of money were taken.

Det Insp Bert Short said: “We would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident, saw the car leaving the area or anything suspicious around the time of the robbery.

“In particular we are appealing for information about the boxes the money was stored in as they may have been discarded.”

The incident is not being linked to any other at the moment.

* Contact Kent Police on 01732 379217 or Kent CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.