Grandmother hits robber with tray

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/7949291.stm

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A grandmother has described the moment she used a bread tray to fight off a masked robber who entered her Greater Manchester store armed with a knife.

June Wilcock, 60, was preparing to close her shop in Leigh on Wednesday night when the man entered and started taking money from behind the counter.

Mrs Wilcock picked up a nearby tray and hit the offender in an attempt to prevent him stealing the cash.

The woman also fought off an accomplice who was armed with a claw hammer.

'Incredibly brave'

She said: "A lad ran in with a black balaclava, black clothes and black gloves. He leaned over the counter to take the money out of the drawer and it was then that I thought, 'no way'.

"I got the bread tray and I put it between me and him and tried to sort of stab him with it.

"Then his accomplice came in with his claw hammer and attacked me and pushed me into the corner of the fridge which had been pushed to one side and it shattered."

They got more than they bargained for when she stood up to them and tried to defend her business Det Con Paul Clayton, Wigan CID

Mrs Wilcock said she fought back because the cash - which had been paid in by customers to cover household bills - did not belong to her.

"I just thought 'you're not going to get away with it'. It's instinct. I'm not going to let anybody take something that doesn't belong to me or them."

The grandmother of four added: "I'm not a hero. I think I'm very silly but I've done it now."

Mrs Wilcock struggled with both robbers for a few moments before they ran off with a small amount of cash and escaped from the scene in a black Toyota.

She suffered some bruising as a result of the struggle, which was captured on the shop's security cameras.

Det Con Paul Clayton, of Wigan CID, said: "These robbers walked in expecting that the threat of weapons would mean anyone working there would simply let them steal whatever they wanted.

"They got more than they bargained for when she stood up to them and tried to defend her business.

"While she was incredibly brave, she was lucky not to be seriously injured and I would always advise anyone faced with a similar situation to call police."