WHEN shopkeeper Ali Nowroozi was confronted by a robber wielding a metal baton, he grabbed a piece of wood from behind his counter and chased him out of the store.
The father-of-two had challenged the man after he entered his Alvaston shop, telling him to remove a scarf covering his face. He refused and instead pulled out an extendable baton and waved it at Mr Nowroozi, 40.
The store owner pushed his shop alarm and picked up a 2ft piece of wood. The raider fled from Wilmorton Stores empty-handed, shouting back "I only wanted beer!", and was chased down London Road by the shopkeeper.
Mr Nowroozi said: "I was scared, I don't deny it but I was not going to let someone just walk into my shop and take something from me without putting up a fight.
"I think by challenging the man and not standing down, that scared him. Then when I picked up the piece of wood and shouted at him that scared him more and he ran off."
Two months ago Mr Nowroozi grabbed another would-be thief and held him until police arrived.
The latest incident happened at 8.20pm on Thursday. CCTV captured by Mr Nowroozi and handed to police shows the raider enter the shop and turn around the sign in the window from "open" to "closed". He walks to the counter which Mr Nowroozi is standing behind.
Mr Nowroozi's wife, Fariba, also 40, said: "He wanted money from the till, of that we're sure. He then pulls out this baton from his pocket and waves it around, threatening my husband.
"He says he wants beer but I think when my husband refuses and presses the alarm and grabs the wood he gets scared and changes his mind.
"We have had the shop for 18 months now and we work up to 18 hours a day to make a success of the business during a time of recession. We are not going to let someone just come in, threaten us and rob us in this way."
The robber wore a white hooded top with the hood pulled up, blue jeans and black Adidas trainers. He fled up London Road in the direction of the city centre.
Yesterday, one regular woman customer in the shop said: "Ali works hard to make a success of the shop and looks after the community's needs.
"I find it shocking that someone feels they can come in and threaten him like this. I hope whoever is responsible is caught as soon as possible."
