A quick-thinking receptionist managed to raise alarm on an armed robbery late on Monday night, as he escaped the thieves and locked himself into a room.

The police on Monday were informed that a robbery had occurred at a hotel in Windsor Street, Sliema.

The incident was reported to the police at around 11:45pm.

Preliminary investigations revealed that two individuals, wearing crash helmets, with one of them allegedly armed with a firearm, had entered the hotel and demanded money from the employee, an Indian national aged 29 residing in San Pawl il-Baħar.

After being handed a sum of cash that was at the reception, the robbers ordered the employee to lead them to the safe where the money was kept, while threatening him with the firearm.

The police said that as the two individuals proceeded to the safe, the employee managed to flee, locking himself in a room and calling for help.

The robbers, upon realizing this, fled from the scene with the money they had stolen from the reception. The employee suffered severe shock but was otherwise uninjured.

Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici was informed of the case and ordered an inquiry. Police investigations are ongoing.