Masterton man nicked for armed raid | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

An armed robber fled with $1200 worth of model emergency vehicles after holding up a model shop yesterday.

Police said a man brandished a firearm at 1.30pm in model vehicle shop Dave's Den, on the corner of High St and Hospital St in Dannevirke.

A number of model vehicles, valued at about $1200, were taken before the offender fled in a white car. No one was hurt during the hold-up.

Dave Pawson from Dave's Den said the models taken were emergency service replicas.

He said a "pretty lethal-looking pistol" was used in the robbery but police were unsure whether it was a real firearm.

Mr Pawson said despite feeling "a bit" frightened by the incident, he went on to serve three customers who came into the Den immediately afterwards.

"We had three visitors for the Den and I just told them 'I've just been robbed at gunpoint but don't panic, the police are on their way, it's under control'."

His wife took down the licence number of the offender's vehicle and passed it on to police.

Kim Perks, Central District Police communications manager said a 48-year-old Masterton man was arrested without incident in Woodville about 90 minutes later.

Model vehicles were recovered but a firearm had not yet been found.

The man was charged with aggravated robbery and was to appear at Palmerston North District Court today.

He was also charged with the unrelated theft of a jacket and lamp from a Martinborough farm earlier this week.

Police want to hear from any witnesses.

Meanwhile, Featherston residents were last night warned to stay inside as police looked for an armed man in an unrelated incident.

Police later said a domestic incident sparked the callout, and officers were speaking to a 47-year-old man about an altercation between residents of a house in Brandon St. The Wellington Armed Offenders Squad was called out as a precaution.