A shopkeeper and his wife gave the brush off to teenage armed robbers who tried to steal cigarettes.

Plucky Raja Mohammad Razzaq, 59, fought off one of the young raiders with a spirit level after he was threatened with a knife.

Meanwhile, his wife, Zahida Perveen, kept the other intruder at bay with a sweeping brush as he tried to climb on to the shop counter.

Two teenagers, one aged between 15 and 17, entered the store in Crag Road, Windhill, Shipley, at about 9.45pm on Saturday and asked Mr Razzaq for cigarettes. He refused, believing the younger of the two was underage.

The elder teenager then produced a pocket knife, with a two to three-inch blade, and demanded “Give me everything you’ve got.”

Mr Razzaq said: “I said I wasn’t going to stand any nonsense and told him to behave himself. He tried to get behind the counter with the knife, but I wasn’t going to let him.I was frightened, but I picked up a spirit level and tried to knock his hand and get the knife off him. The other youth tried to climb over the counter, but I pushed him off.”

Mr Razzaq called to his 46-year-old wife, who picked up a sweeping brush and kept waving it at the man trying to get on to the counter. The raiders fled empty-handed. Mr Razzaq said: “I don’t think we were brave. We were just trying to protect our property. It was just something we had to do. I was determined they weren’t going to get away with anything.”

Police are linking the incident to a theft at the store an hour earlier, in which wine was taken, and an incident at 7.30pm when a teenager was refused alcohol.

The first robbery suspect was white, 15-17 years old, 5ft 8ins tall, slim and clean shaven, with short light brown hair and a thin face. He wore a dark blue zip-up tracksuit top and blue trousers. The second, who produced the knife, was white, 5ft 4ins, thin, with dark brown hair. He was scruffy and wore a dark blue zip up top smudged with paint.

Detective Sergeant Stuart Lyons, of Airedale and North Bradford CID, said: “We would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has information about those responsible.”

They should contact PC Ian Dawson, of Airedale and North Bradford CID, on 0845 6060606, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • Read the full story in Tuesday’s T&A