A MASKED robber threatened a shopkeeper shouting ‘I’ve got a gun, give me the money’.
But brave Kirpal Dhillon refused to give in to his demands, and suspecting the thug had no weapon, threw Lucozade and other drinks bottles at him until he fled empty handed.
The terrifying attempted robbery happened just minutes after Mr Dhillon and his wife Rashpal opened their New Hey Road shop in Outlane at 5.30am yesterday.
Rashpal, 45, said: “We had only been open a few minutes. My husband was at the side of the shop and I was at the back sorting the papers.
“I heard a man come in shouting ‘Give me the money, give me the money, I’ve got a gun’”.
“I came round to the side of the shop and could see he had a balaclava on and was holding an umbrella in one hand and something in the other.
“He had gloves on and he was pointing what he said was a gun towards my husband.”
Kirpal, 50, said: “I could see it wasn’t a gun, but he kept saying “Give me the money, I’ve got a gun.
“So I said ‘If you’ve got a gun. Shoot me then’.
“That’s when he moved towards the till.
“I grabbed bottles of drink, anything to stop him and he then came at me and hit me over the head with an umbrella, then legged it.”
Speaking after the ordeal Kirpal said he didn’t think twice about protecting his wife and property.
He added: “You can’t give in to these people. This is a nice quiet area. We have been here 13 years and never had anything like this.”
Police responded within minutes to the call and the shaken couple told them of their ordeal.
Detectives have issued a description of the suspect who was a man in his 20s wearing a balaclava and believed to be dark skinned and of slim build.
He was around 5'6" tall and was wearing dark clothing and dark gloves.
Anyone with information should contact Pc Andy Clayton at Huddersfield CID via 101, 01484 436524 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
