A have-a-go shopkeeper has told how he beat off a gang of armed, masked raiders with a shovel.

Mohammed Shaffiq, 37, hit one gunman over the head but was stabbed in the shoulder by a second man armed with a knife.

Mr Shaffiq turned to the shovel - the nearest thing to hand - in desperation when three men wearing balaclavas over their faces raided his shop, Blinds by Fara, on Thornton Road, Girlington.

He said he was working at the back of the shop, which sells blinds and curtains, when the incident began. "I was catching up with some office work around the back of the shop," he said.

"The door chime went off in the show room. I put my hand through the partition blind separating the back room from the show room and I saw a hand with a gun pointing at me."

The man started swearing at him and demanding money. Mr Shaffiq said he was shocked and numb and was about to hand over £500-600, when he decided to fight back.

"I grabbed his hand that had the gun and I raise his hand to the ceiling and tried to force him back into the showroom," he said. "He fell over and then I got the shock of my life when I saw the two other men wearing balaclavas and carrying knives."

In desperation, Mr Shaffiq reached for the nearest thing to hand to protect himself, which was a shovel, and used it to hit the gunman on the back of his head causing him to topple and drop the gun.

"I had to do something. I went for the man that had been holding the gun and he pulled out a knife and he stabbed me with it in my left shoulder," he said.

Mr Shaffiq now has a swollen back and neck from the stab wound as well as numbness in his left arm. But, in spite of his injury, the brave shopkeeper chased the three men out of his store.

"They have got to be local lads otherwise they wouldn't have run off in the alleyway.

"The fact that they have targeted a blinds shop just shows how desperate these stupid people are," said Mr Shaffiq.

"These people were organised and cunning and they weren't going to back off.

"I think the fact that I took all three of them on was something that they could never have expect," he added.

Police praised Mr Shaffiq's actions, particularly in light of the shootings of Bradford PC Sharon Beshenivsky and Nottingham PC Rachael Bown, as they each tackled attempted robberies at shops.

Bradford North Detective Inspector Noel Devine said: "The shopkeeper has been very brave in challenging the three men and obviously the recent incidents in Bradford and Nottingham show that he has been very lucky on this occasion that the robbers did not discharge the firearm.

"The robbers appear to have panicked and it was a response they were not expecting. We have had the unfortunate incidents in Bradford and Nottingham where incidents have taken on a more sinister tone and he has been very lucky."

Police have appealed for information on the incident, which took place at around 5pm on Wednesday.

The three men, who fled in the direction of West Park Road, are described as Asian and wearing balaclavas and black clothing.

The first is believed to be aged between 24 and 28-years-old, 5ft 7ins tall with short dark hair and a round face, brown eyes and a light complexion.

The second suspect is described as aged 24 to 28, 5ft 10ins tall, of thin build with broad shoulders and a long thin face with a light complexion.

The third man is believed to be aged 26, 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with a dark complexion.

Police are also investigating an attempted burglary at nearby Poppis News, in Thornton Road, on Saturday but said the two crimes are not being linked.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "On Saturday morning just before 10am there was a report of an attempted break in to a cigarette shop in Thornton Road, Bradford. Damage to the shop was discovered by a neighbouring premises who called the police.

"Entry was not gained and nothing was stolen but damage occurred."

Anyone with information is urged to call Bradford North Police on (01274) 376085 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.