Eleven men fled with two firearms during a botched robbery at the Fidelity depot in Witbank, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.

Spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi said the men tried to rob the depot on Sunday.

"Four of them arrived first in a Ford Focus with police registration numbers. They identified themselves as police officers, and even had appointment certificates."

Hlathi said the four asked for a certain employee and when he arrived they told him they wanted to check whether all the guards working there were registered with the security regulation body.

"They were let inside, but once inside the building the suspects held staff at gunpoint and ordered them to lie down. They were later joined by seven more suspects," Hlathi said.

He said while the robbery was in progress a manager arrived who noticed that the gate had been left open and a robbery was in progress.

"He gathered more security guards and called the police. A shootout ensued between the suspects, the police and the guards."

The robbers fled the scene and managed to take with them two firearms belonging to the guards, said Hlathi.

No arrests had been made.

Sapa