A 61-year-old grandmother described today how she fought a tug-of-war over her newsagent's shop takings with a masked robber as he hacked at her counter with a claw hammer.

Mohinder Kaur was behind the till with her 16-year-old granddaughter when the attacker wearing a baseball cap and a bandana around his lower face burst in.

"All you could see were his eyes," she said. "He lunged towards the till and tried to grab it but me and my granddaughter wouldn't let go. He was tugging and we were pulling."

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Telegraph & Argus the incident happened at Quik Newsagents in Bradford Road, Frizinghall, at 6.30pm on Wednesday

Downstairs at the back of the shop, Mrs Kaur's 17-year-old granddaughter Emma Kaur saw the man on CCTV and sped up the steps to help with back-up from her 39-year-old mother Narinder.

"We had been keeping an eye on the CCTV because there had just been some kids about," said Emma.

"Then we saw the man. You could tell straight away he was up to no good. He had a hammer that was clawed at one end and I could see him hitting the counter. He just burst in."

Narinder tried to grab the man but he threatened to hit her. Emma said: "Mum wanted to have a go but he warned her off. He said he would hit her and he meant it. She didn't want a hammer in her head."

Emma's grandmother and sister then let go of the wires still attached to the till.

The man fell backwards but managed to escape despite the women running out and chasing him.

"There was only about £60 in the till," said Emma. "Nothing much. We empty it throughout the day just in case this kind of thing happens.

"It took more effort from him to get that cash than it did us. We can soon make that amount up."

The family, who have had the shop for 19 years, now plan to get a dog to help defend them and the till.

Emma said: "We are not scared, we are just angry. He threatened our family. It was shocking that it happened but we've got over it."

The robber fled to a small red car parked outside with at least one other person in it, who was driving.

The thief was 6ft, dark skinned and wore light coloured clothes on the top half of his body, a baseball cap and check scarf.

Police are linking the attack to a robbery on Tuesday night when a woman had her car stolen by a man who threatened her with an axe.

Detectives say the same car was used in the Frizinghall robbery - a red Renault Clio, registered V911 AFE.

Anyone with any information should contact Bradford North police on (01274) 376259 or Crimestoppers, which is free and confidential, on 0800 555 111.