Police are investigating an armed robbery at a tavern at Mermaid Beach in the early hours of this morning.
Around 12.45am a man armed with a machete and wearing a balcalava entered the premises through a rear entrance, approached a 37-year-old female staff member and demanded money.
The staff member went to a till to handover money when a 29-year-old male patron of the tavern snuck up behind the offender and struck him to the head with a large stool.
The offender stumbled backwards and struck out with the machete. The man continued to make demands for money at which time the female staff member handed over a sum of money.
The man grabbed the money while the male patron continued to struggle with him. The man dropped the machete and ran out the back entrance with the money.
The female staff member and the male patron gave chase and wrestled with the man obtaining the money back before the offender fled the scene empty handed.
Neither the employee or the patron was physically injured during the incident.
The man is described as aged between 45 to 50 years, Caucasian, large build, balding with brown hair shaven, large nose and Australian accent. He was wearing a black hooded jumper, black track pants and a black balaclava.
