• A machete-wielding man robbed a Lower Hutt dairy in the weekend, making off with half a bag of cigarettes.
• Police have arrested a 32-year-old, charging him with aggravated robbery.
• He is set to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today.

A man who allegedly stormed into a dairy with a machete and made off with half a backpack of cigarettes has been charged with aggravated robbery.

Video of the harrowing incident shows a man entering the dairy on Birch St, Lower Hutt on Saturday with a large machete, which he begins waving at the staff member behind the counter and gesturing with repeatedly.

The man is clad in black, wearing a hood and a surgical mask to hide his face.

Police said damage was also done to the till.

He puts a backpack on the counter, which the staff member then begins filling with cigarette packets while the masked man continues to wave the machete, which he also uses to hit the till.

The armed man then takes the bag and flees within a minute of entering the store. The footage then shows the shopkeeper running outside after the man, though it is not clear what he runs out to do.

The footage was posted on social media over the weekend with the son of the dairy owner asking Facebook users if they could identify the robber.

The footage shows the staff member putting cigarettes into the robber's backpack.

Police confirmed they were called to the business about 1pm on the Saturday “after a report of an individual entering the store and demanding items”.

“The individual has also allegedly caused damage to the till during the incident. Fortunately there were no injuries.”

Police investigated the matter and have now arrested a 32-year-old man. He was charged with aggravated robbery and is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.