TWO brave shop workers saw off a pair of robbers who burst in armed with a machete and an axe.

The employees threw produce and boxes at one raider who was swiping at them with the weapons while the second thief ran to the rear of the premises, tore the office door open and stole a small black safe.

One of the pair, Pete, suffered a gash on his palm that required stitches.

The drama broke out just five minutes after Welcome Stores Premier - at the junction of Plodder Lane and Laburnum Road in Farnworth - had opened at 7am today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shop owner Kishore Patel said: "They were armed with an axe and a long knife, like out of Crocodile Dundee.

"Two guys came running in and one ran straight into the back, into the office, and the other one threatened the two staff members at the counter.

"The guy said: 'Give us all your money' or something like that.

"Pete said: 'You're not having anything' and 'Get out of our shop'.

"He threw anything he could get his hands on at him."

The armed robber initially brandished the machete in his left hand, slashing at both Pete and the second member of staff, Prafulla, who similarly barraged the raider with goods.

Prafulla said: "He said: 'I'm going to hurt you' and I said: 'No you're not.'"

Merchandise fell from the counter and shelves in the melee as the robber pulled out an axe in his right hand and continued to threaten the two workers.

The armed robber turned and fled out of the shop and Pete shut the door behind him.

It was at that point the second, unarmed criminal ran down the aisle with the safe under his arm and shoulder-barged Pete into the wall before bolting out the way the door as Pete lost his grip on the handle.

The robbery lasted barely 25 seconds.

Mr Patel said: "It's terrible.

"Pete's a big lad and he's a gentle giant. But he still stands up for himself.

"Luckily there were no customers at the time - we had only just had five or six customers in.

"We were shut afterwards for three or four hours.

"Pete and Prafulla were very brave and I'm glad they weren't badly injured.

"They were shaken up afterwards though."

The two robbers were both wearing in black shoes, black trousers or tracksuit bottoms, a black top and gloves.

The armed suspect wore a blue top with the hood pulled up under his black outer layer while his safe-snatching accomplice was wearing black Diadora trainers.

They had approached from the Harper Green Road direction before bursting into the shop.

Mr Patel, who has owned the shop for 35 years, said: "Peter spotted a couple of suspicious guys when he was opening the shutters.

"He and Prafulla were talking about it when the robbers came in."

The safe was found dumped, with the door bent in, in a back street nearby. Mr Patel believes it was empty at the time of the theft.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating the raid.