A MIDDLE-AGED customer making a "cry for help" armed himself with a large knife, went into his bank and demanded staff tell police he was carrying out a £100,000 hold up.

Mentally ill Brent Makinson, 52, said to have been wrongly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and suffering "alarming " side effects from medication, was a regular at Abbey PLC in Burnley when he brought terror to the busy branch on June 17.

Makinson, a former alcoholic, had been beckoned over to cashier Holly Todd's till as she knew him, but he then passed her a note telling her to call police and that he would probably kill someone in the bank, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The cashier was at first puzzled, but soon became frightened when Makinson, who had his hand inside his jacket chest pocket, ordered her to alert officers immediately.

Ms Todd, who shouted for the screens to be brought down, was left so traumatised by her ordeal she was afterwards scared to go back to work.

Police had arrived at the premises to find the defendant just standing at the counter staring at staff behind the screens.

Makinson, who went on to tell officers he was struggling with mental illness and had been for some time, said he had wanted to attract attention to himself to get assistance, but wished he had not done it and was deeply sorry, the hearing was told.

The defendant, of Coniston Street, Burnley, admitted possessing an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 12 months.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told him what he had done was a premeditated and planned series of actions and he had had other ways of obtaining help.

She said all his psychiatric symptoms had been triggered by a chronic drink problem.

Richard Taylor, for Makinson, he had been wrongly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and he had been prescribed very powerful medication with some alarming side effects.

Mr Taylor said: “He never had any intention to harm anyone.”