Bank clerks in Moldova have been told not to make eye contact with customers after a string of robberies by a hypnotist.

The robber reportedly puts cashiers into a trance before making them hand over tens of thousands of pounds.

Local police said the criminal, who they believe is a trained hypnotist from Russia, begins talking to bank tellers and gradually hypnotises them.

He then gets them to give him money before bringing them back out of the trance and leaving them with no memory of handing over the cash, Russian media reported.

Officers, who are still looking for the man, said he took more than £20 000 (about R200 000) in his last robbery. - ananova.com