ARMED with a mop and hockey stick a shopkeeper and his son defended their store from a gang of crow bar wielding men.
Heroic Dinesh Gorania, 50, and son Kishan, 21, from Rushden, were confronted by the robbers as they were closing the Premier Store in Church Hall Road at 10pm last Friday.
One of the offenders attempted to gain entry to the shop but was fought back by the father and son duo.
When he failed the other two attempted to get into the premises and one of them threw a metal bar at Dinesh.
Speaking to the Herald & Post, Kishan said: “I was helping bring the signs back in and went out to bring the rest of them into the shop.
“This was when a car pulled up and one man got out with a crow bar.
“My dad grabbed a mop which was at hand and used it to stop the man getting into the shop.”
Kishan said the attempted robbery could have been worse if the man or the other men had got into the shop.
He said: “I tripped over and the man took a swing at me.
“I thought my dad was great.
“It was self defence and I believe you should take what ever action you need to fight someone off. I grabbed a hockey stick and after seeing what dad did, I just did exactly what he was doing.
“One of them threw a metal bar at my dad but he fended it off.
“They did break the front windows of the shop and went around the corner into Rose
Avenue and broke the windows to my car and dad’s van.
“It was good no one got hurt.
“He has always been a strong man and he knows how to defend himself. Dad has had worse when he was beaten up but he still fought them off.”
After smashing the front window of the shop and heading into Rose Avenue the main offender got out of the car and smashed numerous windows of the two vehicles belonging to the victims and then got back into the car.
The vehicle then reversed back into Church Hall Road.
They again attempted to enter the store but failed and then got back into the car and made off towards Park Avenue.
The victims were not injured and nothing was stolen.
Witnesses to this incident, or anyone with information, should call Northamptonshire Police on 101.
