Gardaí are appealing for witnesses after a man armed with a machete caused panic at a Waterford City shopping centre yesterday.

Gardaí said the man entered a jewellery shop in the City Square Shopping Centre at around 5:10pm and threatened staff with the weapon.

He then fled the scene on a bicycle via Henrietta Street with a “quantity of stolen items”.

Several shops in the centre yesterday said the incident saw people frantically running out onto the streets in panic.

There was a large Garda presence at the centre in the hours after the robbery.

This morning Gardaí said they had recovered the machete and the bicycle – both of which have been sent for a technical examination.

They are now appealing to anyone who witnessed the robbery to contact them.

They are particularly interested in talking to anyone who was in the Arundel Square shopping district and surrounding areas, including Spring Garden Alley and New Street, between 4.45pm and 5.45pm yesterday evening and may have camera footage.

The Garda investigation is ongoing.

Main image shows the entrance to City Square Shopping Centre at Arundel Square in Waterford City. Image: Google

Additional reporting from Kyle Butler.