A have-a-go hero pharmacist told today how he bravely sent an armed robber packing – by whacking him with a HENRY HOOVER.
Raffique Chaudhery, 37, said he thought the balaclava-clad thug was joking when he stormed into the chemist wielding a baseball bat because his disguise was so bad.
Dramatic CCTV shows the would-be robber walking into Day and Night Pharmacy on Osmaston Road, Derby ,where he demanded cash from the till.
But fearless Raffique can then be seen using the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner to fend off the yob as he comes at him with the weapon.
The frustrated thug then tried to smash the till with his bat before fleeing from the scene empty-handed at around 11.20pm on September 2.
Raffique had been in the store with his colleague Gaffer Ahmed, 40, who also helped fend off the man as they defiantly defended the family-run business.
Today the dad-of-four said colleagues had now nicknamed the brave pair ‘Mike Dyson’ and ‘Dyson Fury’.
Raffique, of Derby, who has worked at the store for three months, said: “I was cleaning up ready to close at midnight and I turned around and saw this guy come in.
“I started laughing as I thought it was a joke – his disguise looked like his mum had made it for him.
“It was cut from a wooly hat and one eye was bigger than the other, you could see his hair poking through it.
“He didn’t seem like a pro. His disguise was proper dodgy.
“But then he said ‘do you think this is funny?’ and came at me and I just started fending him off with the nozzle so he didn’t get too close.
“I did think at the time that it probably wasn’t the best weapon to use against a baseball bat.
“I ran back round to the counter where my colleague Gaf was and he took the Henry Hoover and started hitting him with it.
“As I grabbed a broom, he did a runner.”
Despite the terrifying ordeal Raffique said he would do the same again if he ever faced a similar situation.
He added: “It hasn’t put me off, I would do it all again.
“I was back at work the next day because I’m not going to let people like that stop me from doing my job.
“I wasn’t frightened because I think I just acted on instinct and it was over in a matter of seconds.
“Also, I wasn’t on my own either I had Gaf, who grew up in Scotland so he has plenty of the Braveheart spirit.
“I don’t consider myself to be a hero.”
Gaffer, from Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs., who has worked at the store for five years, added: “I remember seeing Raf fending off this guy with the Henry.
“I thought that’s not going to do the trick. There was a stack of walking sticks behind him the whole time.
“I took the nozzle off him when he came behind the counter and used it to keep our distance from the robber but Raf is definitely the main hero.
“Henry is pretty light and not a good weapon – I think we had a lucky escape.”
Haroon Shaffiq, pharmacy manager at the store, praised the brave actions of his staff.
The 32-year-old said: “I think it was a case of Henry one baseball bat nil.
“It must have been terrifying for him. I am just grateful that no-one was hurt.”
Derbyshire Police launched an appeal and said the man is described as being around 5ft 10ins tall and stocky.
He was spotted retrieving a small, child-like BMX bicycle from behind a nearby white van before cycling off toward Cotton Lane.
He wore a dark hooded top and dark tracksuits bottoms and a homemade balaclava, possibly made from a hat, which showed he has blonde hair.
Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to call DC Lucy Kowalczyk on 101, quoting reference 16000262090 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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