Shopkeeper fought off armed raiders

himself before shoving his attacker backwards in to a stand.

As Harjinder turned to confront the gunman, the taller man regained his balance and struck the father-of-two in the head twice.

At this point the shorter man abandoned the robbery and fled out of the shop.

The man with the baseball bat tried to follow his partner in crime but Harjinder grabbed hold of him.

It was Harjinder’s intention to keep the failed robber at the shop until police could arrive but the shorter man, realising his accomplice had been caught, doubled back to demand his release.

Harjinder said: “He was stood in the middle of the road pointing his guns at me inside the shop.

“He just kept shouting ‘I’ll shoot you.’

“Then the one with the baseball bat got loose and they both ran off down Longwood Gate.

“I chased after them until the bus stop.”

Harjinder, said he did what he did to defend his livelihood.

“If I handed the money over it would be like inviting them to come again,” he explained.

“The money that is in my till is my blood and sweat. I work 14 and 15 hour shifts in this shop to feed my kids.

“If it happens again I’ll do the same thing.”

Colleague Ravi agreed: “We are standing here to make a living and protect our livelihood.”

Armed police officers in four or five vehicles arrived on the scene soon after the robbers had escaped.

They searched the area but were unable to find the two suspects.

Harjinder reflected that it was lucky he was in the shop alone at the time of the robbery, given that it happened at a time when his daughter, five, and son, two, are sometimes there with him.

He added that the robbers “should seek help if they are in need, rather than disturbing people that work hard.”

Ravi said: “We are Sikhs and our religion teaches us forgiveness before anything.”

West Yorkshire Police have launched an appeal for information following the attempted armed robbery.

The first suspect is described as a young man of a stocky build, with a local accent, around 5ft 9ins wearing all black clothing and a balaclava. The second suspect is described as 5ft 10ins, white, with a slim build and dark coloured eyes and was also wearing all black clothing and a balaclava.

Anyone with information should contact police via 101 or by using the West Yorkshire Police 101 live chat facility, quoting 13180587120. Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.