A pensioner has been hailed a real-life Supergran after confronting an armed robber at her shop – for the second time.
Christine Palmer, 60, is just 5ft 2ins but has battled two masked raiders at a petrol station store – one wielding a knife and another a gun.
During the latest attack two raiders ran in and demanded cash from the till but she refused to open it.
One of the men grabbed her and she grappled him into a cupboard full of cigarettes.
The accomplice managed to open the till but Christine was able to jump up and slam it shut.
The men then fled with only a handful of notes from the Dial Motors garage shop in Buckfastleigh, Devon.
But the robbery isn’t the first one mum-of-two Christine has foiled at the shop – in 2002 another raider burst in with a gun.
He demanded she hand over takings but she stood firm and refused – and the masked raider ran off.
She has now been hailed as ‘Super Gran’ by her bosses at the forecourt shop where she has worked for 15 years.
Christine, of Buckfastleigh, Devon, said: “It’s just my way. I always stick up for myself. I’ve always been like that.
“I don’t see why they should just get away with it. Afterwards I think ‘you stupid sod’ but then I get on with life.”
During the latest raid at 6.30pm on Monday two robbers burst in half an hour into her shift.
One was wearing a blue-hoody with a “red cloth” over his face so Christine could only see his eyes.
She said the man was carrying a knife in his right hand.
Christine said: “They said ‘open the till’ and I said no. They said it again and I said ‘No, I’m not doing it – I can’t anyway’.
“I went behind the counter and pressed the panic button which alerts the police. The one with the knife went for me and I started fighting him.
“I was holding his arms and pushing the knife away from me. We went into a cupboard knocking cigarettes everywhere.”
The man’s accomplice then opened the till by hitting it with what Christine said “appeared to be an iron bar”.
She said: “They didn’t get away with much because I pushed the till back in as they tried to grab it. It can only have been £60. They ran away towards the railway station.”
In 2002, she foiled a robber who ran into the shop welding a firearm.
Christine said: “I was just locking up and this bloke came in – it looked like he had a gun.
“He said ‘give me your till’. I said I had put the money in the safe, which I hadn’t.
“He saw me press the button and then he ran off.”
Garage boss Paulette Will said dubbed her ‘Super Gran’.
She said: “She’s been a hero. A real Supergran.
”We don’t want her to get hurt and we’ve told her to not confront these people.
”But knowing how tough Christine is, what she’s done hasn’t come as a surprise.”
Christine said husband Kelvin had comforted her after the latest robbery as she was “a bit panicky”.
But she was steadfast enough to help police with their inquiries until 10.30pm that night.
Christine, has a son, Graham, 40, a daughter Sharon, 39, and an eight month old grandson William.
* Following the incident on Monday, two suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.
A 17-year-old boy was charged with robbery. A 16-year-old youth was released on police bail until October 11 pending further inquiries.