AN armed raider got more than he bargained for when he tried to hold up Jubilee Store in Haslingden.

The gunman must have thought that housewife and mother-of-three Johar Largat would be easy prey and the shop's till, easy pickings.

She was alone in the shop at 10.30am on Sunday, August 18, while husband Bashir, 39, had taken their three children on a day trip to Blackpool.

But Johar, 38, was not going to give up without a fight. As the man waved a gun her, she first grappled with him in the shop before chasing him out into Jubilee Road.

She said: "He asked me for some cigarettes, then some chocolate. Then he pounced on the till.

"I saw that he had a gun in his left hand, but I kept struggling with him for a while.

"When he got the gun out I was scared, but just reacted very quickly and didn't think too much."

In the struggle that followed, brave Johar suffered a cut to her hand.

"Everything at the till fell over. Then he started to run for the door. I came out from behind the counter and grabbed him in the middle of the shop."

By this time the gunman had given up and was making a botched exit.

"He got away again and tried to get in a car. I ran after him again and shouted for help as loudly as I could."

As Johar struggled with the man in the middle of the road, several witnesses were alerted.

A police spokesman said because of her heroics they were following several strong leads. He added: "She is a very brave woman."Johar said: "I would do it again.

"We work too hard for our money to let anyone come and take it."

Husband Bashir said: "Yesterday was the first time I had managed to get the kids out during the school holidays. I couldn't believe it when she told me. I wouldn't have wanted her to do it, but we work hard, seven days a week, so you are bound to fight for it."