Brave shopkeeper stops armed robbers by defending himself with a MOP

A BRAVE shopkeeper stopped an armed robbery in its tracks by defending himself with a household MOP against a pair of blade-wielding thieves.

A shopkeeper defended himself from armed robbers with a MOP A shopkeeper defended himself from armed robbers with a MOP [SWNS]

Shopkeeper Rasaratnam Rahulan leapt into action with the cleaning tool when he was threatened with a pair of scissors by the suspects.

They told him to hand over the money from the till but the 36-year-old grabbed his mop and defended himself in the tense stand-off.

The 36-year-old closed the shop shutters and then chased the balaclava-wearing thieves around the store hitting them with the mop handle.

 Rasaratnam Rahulan leapt into action with the cleaning tool when he was threatened by thieves [SWNS]

At first I panicked because I didn't understand what the guy was saying, but I wasn't phased by it

Shopkeeper Rasaratnam Rahulan

CCTV footage recorded the robbery which showed at one point a thief trying to escape through the front door but ran instead into the store shutters.

The thieves jumped over the counter and grabbed a handful of coins before they escaped with just under £5 in change.

Mr Rahulan said: "At first I panicked because I didn't understand what the guy was saying, but I wasn't phased by it.

"We are working hard to make money and I'm not going to just hand over £300 to £400 because someone tells me too."

 After the shopkeeper's brave defence of his store the thieves only stole less than £5 [SWNS]

Mr Rahulan was threatened with a pair of scissors after the two men burst into his News 2000 shop on Sunday in Sunderland.

They are believed to be aged 17 or 18 and police are examining the CCTV footage in an attempt to find those responsible for the robbery.

Mr Rahulan added: "They definitely weren't regular customers because I didn't recognise them.

"We get a few shoplifters and I've had some racist abuse but nothing like this for a few years. I don't get why people do these things."

• If anyone has information on the robbery they should call 101 and dial extension 69191 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

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