A 37-year-old Bulgarian literature teacher was arrested on charges of armed bank robbery in the northern town of Pleven.

The woman robbed a branch of ProCredit Bank in Pleven using a plastic toy gun.

Mrs Polya Daskalova told police she needed the money to pay back her loans.

She had been watching the bank branch for over a week before she decided to act.

On March 15 she entered the bank wearing sunglasses, a wig and a large scarf to cover her face. There were three cashiers in the bank at the time of the attack. They handed her 20 000 leva (around 10 000 euro). The cashiers said they did not have time to push the panic button.

The teacher had no criminal record prior to the incident.