A robber got the shock of his life after wrestling with a brave 78-year-old shopkeeper Pearl Smith who cracked him in the head with a wooden club.

Mrs Smith gave the thug more than he bargained for when he grabbed her around the throat inside her Leigh shop and demanded "where's you purse?".

The plucky pensioner, who runs Collectors Paradise in London Road, said: "He had been in the shop before and seemed interested in a model aircraft, postcards and train pieces.

"He threw his hands around my neck and we both fell over. He still had his hands around my neck and said 'where's your purse?'

"I told him I had a weak heart to get him to ease his grip, even though I'm as strong as a horse.

"I told him the purse was over by the books - it wasn't though - it was in my handbag - he wasn't going to get my purse.

"When he went over I leant down - I was going for my Victorian police truncheon but instead I got hold of a wooden Indian exercise club which is long and thin."

The man grabbed his glasses and the club and ran from the store turning left towards Chalkwell.

On his way out he also grabbed a £90 Dinky silver-dye cast model aircraft at 4pm on Thursday.

The robber is described as 5ft 7in to 8ins, aged 45 to 55, with dark but greying wavy hair over his ears, a "weather-beaten face", an off-centre nose wearing thin-framed oval glasses.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Det Con Bob Evans at Southend CID on 01702 431212.