Shopkeeper foils crossbow raider

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CCTV footage shows the crossbow-wielding robber being chased from the shop

A Teesside shopkeeper chased away an armed robber who burst into his store and shot a crossbow at him.

Mohammed Razaq was resting at his home, which adjoins his Stockton convenience store, when he spotted the raider on his CCTV monitor.

The 37-year-old ran into the shop, then ducked out of the way when the robber shot a crossbow bolt, which missed.

He then chased the attacker out of the store before he could reload the weapon during the incident on Saturday.

Mr Razaq said he acted instinctively to protect his wife, parents and five children, when the man with a scarf over his face burst in and tried to grab money from the till.

He said: "I was in shock. I said something like: 'What the hell are you doing?'

"He just pointed the crossbow at me and told me 'come on, quick, get the money out of the till' then he showed me the bag."

The shopkeeper then fled out of the shop and into his home at the moment when the raider can be seen on CCTV firing the crossbow at him at point blank range.

'Protect family'

The potentially-lethal bolt missed and Mr Razaq grabbed a pole used to close his shutters and swung it before the raider could reload his weapon.

He said he only fought back because he thought his children were at risk

"I didn't want anyone coming in my house and if I didn't stop him, he could have been in," he added.

"I suppose I had to be brave. I had to protect my family."

Det Con Carl Scott, of Cleveland Police, said officers did not encourage people to tackle violent criminals themselves, but understood that Mr Razaq had acted to protect his family.

Anyone with information about the raid should contact Cleveland Police.