A 78-year-old woman sent a robber packing after she cracked him across the head with a wooden club.

The brawl happened when the raider tried to buy an item from Collectors Paradise in London Road, Leigh, at 4pm yesterday (thur).

The shopkeeper politely told him that she didn't accept credit cards and the man suddenly became aggressive. He grabbed her by the throat, they both fell to the floor and he demanded her purse.

But the plucky shopkeeper grabbed a wooden club and cracked it against his head sending his glasses flying across the shop floor.

The man broke free, grabbed his glasses and her club and ran from the store turning left towards Chalkwell. On his way out he grabbed a Dinky silver-dye cast model aircraft.

See today's Echo for the full story.

Brought to you by the Evening Echo