The incident follows a number of gun attacks on police by left-wing guerrillas in recent weeks, in a climate of tension and street protests sparked by the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy in December.

Police said the stolen car was parked in the courtyard of Citibank's offices in the suburb of Kifissia. Citibank has a network of 85 branches in Greece.

Police said a security guard at the bank alerted police after seeing three men break through the gate of the building's car park and leave the car in the courtyard.

A day earlier two gunmen fired shots outside a Greek television TV station building but no injuries were reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.