Thieves rob Florence post office with toy guns

"The armed robbers had hidden inside the post office. They jumped out at the staff on their arrival and forced them to open up the vault," said a policewoman in charge of the probe into the theft in the Italian city.

Some €50,000 in cash and €20,000 in tax stamps were stolen by the thieves, who fled back along the 12-metre (39 foot) long tunnel which they are believed to have dug during the weekend, she said.

Before making their escape, the bandits – dressed entirely in black – locked the 12 members of staff in the vault. Their toy guns were later discovered discarded in the tunnel.

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