Police officers try to find out what was going on inside the van

A loud voice alarm sounded from the Securicor armoured vehicle asking passers-by in the centre of Lampeter to alert police that it was under threat.

Lunchtime shoppers looked on as police peered through darkened windows trying to see who was inside.

The guards finally managed to free themselves from the vehicle on double yellow lines outside Barclays Bank.

It is thought that a technical fault was to blame.

The van's alarm sounded for almost an hour from about 1130 GMT on Tuesday.

Police turned up quickly, and two officers approached the vehicle while a third directed traffic.

One guard appears to explain to a police officer what happened

The two officers tried to see who was inside, but the loud alarm meant the officers could not hear the guards.

The problems were compounded because the van was parked in an awkward position on Harford Square, and lorries were only just able to squeeze past.

Eventually, at about 1230, one of the guards appeared from inside the van and explained to the police what had happened.

The guard then collected money from the bank as Lampeter returned to normal.