Dunedin police are remaining tight-lipped about an attempted armed robbery at Highgate Dairy.
An offender wearing dark clothes and dark sunglasses walked into the dairy in Highgate carrying what was believed to be a large knife about 6.45pm on Monday.
The man threatened a staff member before running off when he realised other people were in the store.
It was the second time the dairy had been targeted in recent months.
A knife-wielding man wearing a bandanna and hooded jersey demanded cash from staff in May.
On that occasion, the offender also left empty-handed.
Questions posed to police by the Otago Daily Times went unanswered.
A spokeswoman was only willing to say the "matter is still under investigation".
When approached by the ODT earlier this week, staff at the dairy said they had been advised by police not to comment on the attempted robbery.
Police would not say whether any persons of interest had been identified or whether an offender had been apprehended for the incident in May.
Questions about any potential links between the two robberies, whether the public should be concerned for their safety in the area and what precautions people and businesses should be taking also went unanswered by police.
"Police would like to hear from anyone who has information or who was in the area around the time of the incident," an emailed statement said.
"They can call Dunedin Police ... or provide information anonymously to Crimestoppers."
The dairy, which also contains an adjoining residential flat, was also targeted by thieves in 2013.
On that occasion, three offenders broke in by smashing a glass door early in the morning.
They fled when they were disturbed by an alarm.
● Dunedin police (03) 471-4800, Crimestoppers 0800 555-111.
