THE TAKEAWAY BRAVEHEART
Derek fights off armed robber with a curry pot lid and a meat cleaver
A BRAVE takeaway owner has told how he felt like William Wallace after he armed himself with a curry pot lid and a meat cleaver to fend off a robber.
Hero Derek Tang, 44, jumped in to protect his staff after the man burst into his shop and brandished a weapon.
The businessman grabbed the first thing he could to protect himself during the stand-off on Saturday – and said it left him feeling like the Scottish legend.
He had been working at the China Town takeaway late at night when he heard a loud bang from the front of the shop.
He walked in to see a member of staff cowering down on the floor, before being confronted the robber who had stormed in.
Derek, who has run the Linwood takeaway in Renfrewshire, for 12 years, said he moved quickly to defend himself and those who were in the shop.
He added: “I heard a really loud bang while I was in the back and knew that something wasn’t right.
“When I came out, I noticed one of the guys who works in the shop and then realised what was happening.
“I just grabbed the first thing
I could see to protect myself. I felt a bit like William Wallace with a sword and a shield.
“We ended up having a bit of a stand-off.
“I was just thinking that I needed to protect everyone in the shop.
“That was more important than any cash in the till.”
Derek says his cash intake in the shop was reduced as a number of people now pay online using their debit cards due to the coronavirus crisis.
However, he now says he fears he could be a target for crime due to faulty streetlights outside his business – which is located in Mossedge Industrial Estate in Linwood.
Derek claims the lights regularly cut out, leaving the street outside his shop in complete darkness.
He added: “The lights work for an hour or so each night and then they completely turn off.
“When it’s dark you can’t see a thing on the street.
“It is something that will be a big concern for us as the winter months approach when it gets dark so early.
“We worry that we will be a bit of a target as we are vulnerable when we have no light to see what is happening outside. He added: “Thankfully just now, only five per cent of my takings are in cash so it hasn’t affected us too badly.
“But it was more important for me to protect my staff than the cash in the till.”
A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm we received a report of an issue with street lighting at this location.
“An electrician has now attended and fixed the fault and restored lighting to the industrial estate.”
A spokesman from Police Scotland confirmed a man had been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.