A courageous female customer grabbed a would-be robber as he tried to attack a shopkeeper with a metal bar.
The shopper stepped in when the assailant swung the makeshift weapon at Arsalan Haider, 26, at Court Street News in Dundee.
She grabbed him from behind, locking his arms, pulled him away from the shop worker and shoved him out of the premises empty handed.
Yesterday, Mr Haider was back behind the counter of the shop and grateful to the woman for intervening.
“If it wasn’t for the woman then I could have been badly hurt,” he said.
“She was very brave.”
His attacker had been in the newsagents for almost 15 minutes and was aggressively demanding money before the confrontation turned violent on Wednesday evening.
Mr Haider said: “I tried my best to calm him down and tell him to go away but when he grabbed the shelf I thought I was going to get hurt and pressed the panic button.
“When she grabbed him she was telling him to stop because he would be charged and to calm down. He was going crazy.
“I actually feel sorry him,” he added. “He has been in before asking for food, saying he is starving.
“This time he wanted money for drugs I think which I would never give him.”
It comes just three months after the shop was hit by another robbery.
Shopkeeper Mohammed Khan was assaulted by a man wielding a metal pole who made off with over £700.
Mr Khan still works at Court Street News and had finished his shift just hours before the incident on Wednesday.
A man is due to face trial next year in connection with the incident.
Mr Haider added: “Sadly, we are used to it now but it was still scary being attacked.
“It was very scary for Mohammed to be attacked in September too.”
Mr Khan said: “There are some desperate people living around here.
“I have mostly recovered now but to hear it’s happened here again is sad.”
Police say the suspect in the latest incident is about 5ft 8in and slim build and was wearing a beige jacket with a red hoodie underneath, blue trousers and black and white trainers.
Constable Andrew Findlay, of Maryfield Police Station, said: “Nobody was injured however we’re appealing to anyone who has any information about this incident to contact us.
“I’m particularly keen to speak to a man who was in the shop throughout the incident and a woman who attempted to tackle the suspect before he threw the shelf.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 .
