A robber held up a security van at gunpoint outside a Hampshire store.

At around 6pm last night, a Securicor van was delivering cash to a cash machine when a man approached one of the guards with a small, silver handgun.

The gunman ran off with the cash box the guard was carrying, and got into the passenger seat of a silver BMW that was parked nearby.

The robber was wearing casual clothing and wore a balaclava or similar facial covering.

The guard was shaken but unhurt during the incident, which happened outside the Tesco Express in Four Marks, near Alton.

The BMW crossed the carriageway of the A31 in the face of oncoming traffic and was later found abandoned nearby in Fairfield Green.

Detective Sergeant Fiona Holland, of Alton CID, said: "This is a serious incident and we are asking for the public's help to identify the people responsible.

"We are particularly interested to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the robbery itself, or anyone in the vicinity of Fairfield Green who may have seen the BMW being parked."

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Detective Sergeant Holland at Alton Police Station on 0845 045 45 45 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.