MANILA (AFP) - Police in the Philippine capital have banned the wearing of caps in shopping malls to stop criminals concealing their identity from security cameras.

The ban was imposed after a gang of hammer-wielding robbers looted a jewellery store at a popular suburban Manila shopping mall on December 15. The suspects are believed to have used baseball caps to hide their identities.

Police officials for Manila and its suburbs met with shopping mall security officials last week, telling them to bar people wearing caps from entering as a security precaution, said Metro Manila police spokesman Chief Inspector Robert Domingo.