Police are searching the Alta Vista area for a lone male suspect after a TD Canada Trust bank was robbed late Friday morning.

Police were called to the area after a bank robbery was reported at the TD bank on Kilborn Avenue just before 10:30 a.m.

A lone man passed a note demanding cash, then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. He is not believed to be armed.

When police arrived, a tactical team surrounded a nearby home on Aster Street. It was soon determined the suspect was not there.

"They told us to stay in the house, close the doors and not really look out the windows," said Vikki Templin, who lives next door to the house that was surrounded. "You could see them getting into SWAT gear and things like that."

"It's quite troubling or disturbing for a parent to see this," said Marilyn Guevremont. "I have three young boys so seeing this all morning, this is not something that happens very often in our neighbourhood."

Police describe the suspect as a skinny six foot two inch black male wearing a black New York Yankees baseball hat, a white t-shirt and sunglasses.

Neighbours have told CTV Ottawa this isn't the first time this bank has been robbed.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Katie Griffin