Armed robber in Deadpool mask holds up Ohio bank

A man wearing a mask of comic book hero Deadpool has robbed a bank at gunpoint in South Point Ohio in the US making off with $2,000 (£1,440). The bank on the town's 4th Street East was held up at around 2pm local time yesterday.

Along with the superhero mask, the robber wore a black jacket and a red backpack and brandished a black handgun. He escaped in an unknown vehicle heading east of the branch. No one is understood to have been injured in the holdup.

The heavy-set assailant was described as white, weighing 200lb (91kg) and between 5ft 9in and 5ft 11in tall. South Point Police said in a statement: "We are investigating a robbery at US Bank on 4th Street. Please stay clear of the area. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous."

Masks like the one the robber wore have become widely available through internet retailers selling for as little as $10 (£7.20) and have become popular due to the wild success of the recently released Deadpool film starring Ryan Reynolds. The film, that opened just two weeks ago, has already grossed $250m (£180m) at the US box office alone.

The film includes Reynolds as the titular character whose real name is Wade Wilson – a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary. His world is forever changed when evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) tortures, disfigures and transforms him into Deadpool. It was described by one critic as "irreverent, bloody, and riotous twist on the superhero genre".