The police told Lusa only three men were involved in the hold up, two of whom the police shot during the pursuit and who were taken to hospital, one with “serious injuries”.

When they were intercepted on the outskirts of Lisbon, in Oeiras, the robbers ran into a police car injuring three officers who also had to be taken to hospital.

The three robbers had attacked an armoured truck in Carnide, also close to Lisbon, using a hand gun and attacked one of the trucks guards.