Lawyers for Brian "Fingers" McGarry filed for damages today, after a bank robber with more than twenty five years of experience was told that his stocking mask was "Offensive and too threatening".

The court heard how McGarry had been forced to leave the Dewsbury branch of the Halifax Building Society empty handed, after Aishah Azmi (a member of staff at the branch) refused to serve him.

"I realise that he needed to use a sawn off shotgun as part of his work," Azmi said, "but I felt that the stocking mask was a barrier to effective communication between us. It made me feel suspicious of this man and did nothing to put me at ease." 

Speaking on Newsnight, The Minister for Daylight Robbery, Peter Mandelson said that it was a difficult situation to address. "Everybody recognises the right of the individual to rob banks. It's a grand institution that's persisted for almost as long as we've had currency. However, I believe the time has come to ask ourselves if there might not be a better way for criminals to integrate into society. Perhaps if he were to remove his stocking mask whilst inside the branch, and use his disguise only when driving the getaway car."

However, David Cameron urged against making snap judgements. "I know some people don't like being confronted by armed robbers with stockings on their faces, but it's not the place for politicians to decide whether that's right or wrong. The responsibility for those decisions rests entirely at the hands of market forces."

Brian McGarry is suing the Halifax under Human Rights legislation, claiming unfair discrimination and victimisation. "The world has got to realise that they can't go on treating bank robbers like criminals" he told reporters.

 Related:

• BBC News -  'No discrimination' in veil row'