ARMED police laid siege to a Glasgow bank for eight hours after shots were fired inside in September 1998.

Streets in the city's Gorbals were shutdown and negotiators stood by to "talk out" the gunmen during the explosive ordeal.

One security guard at the Bank of Scotland barricaded himself in the Bridge Street bank, and another hid the Brinks-Mat delivery van outside.

But it emerged that the gang had feld before the police threw their ring of steel around the Bank of Scotland in Glasgow's Gorbals.

When police finally stormed the building around 6am - they found it empty apart from a terrified security man.

Terrified guards were unaware they were being held in a hostage situation.

A man who lived near the bank said: “I knew something had happened when I heard the sound of a shot.

“But all I could see at that time was the van parked at the bank.

“Then, within minutes, the building was surrounded by scores of police.

“They were armed and sheltering behind car doors with their guns.

“It was a frightening experience.

“The area was completely sealed off and police were stopping traffic on the roads - and the trains going in and out of central station.”

After the siege ended, Strathclyde Police Superintendent Iain Gordon said: “Throughout the night we were dealing with what we thought was a potential hostage situation.

“We had armed police at the scene very quickly and had the area sealed off.

“We tried all night to make contact with the guards or anyone else who was in the bank.

“We were in a situation where we could not go near the bank or the van because we feared it was a hostage situation.

“Safety was our main priority.

“But shortly before 6am we managed to free both guards who were unharmed.

“The third guard had fled at the outset of the incident.

“Forensic and ballistic experts are now examining the building.”

A security guard told how he saved his mate from a point-blank gun blast during a bank-raid.

He said: “The gun was staring us in the face. I pushed him through the door when the gunman fired.”

Eight hours later his pal was rescued by police who found the raiders had fled.

The guard threw his colleague into a room and closed the door as the armed raider fired a shot.

Then he ran for his life as the blast tore apart the door inside the Bank of Scotland.

But the shy hero said: “There was no alternative. There were two men waiting for us - one had a gun and raised it at us.

“The gun was pointed right at our faces.

“I pushed the other guard to the side and through a door as the gunman fired.

“The blast was deafening. But I took to my heels and got out. I saved a man’s life. There is no doubt about that.

“I escaped to get the police and tell them what was happening and that my mate was trapped inside.”

Security firm Brings Ltd praised their officer’s courage for taking a chance with his own life in order to save his colleague.

They said all their staff had acted in accordance with procedure.

“The guards were confronted entering the bank and faced a gun.

“One of the officers pushed the other into a room.

“The door was slammed shut as the gun was fired.

“One guard was left in the building while the other got outside to alert police.”

“The police are the only ones who can explain why they waited for seven and a half hours.”