A SHOPKEEPER has told how she fought off knife-wielding raiders with a wooden pole.

Helen Semark, 53, leapt into action when two youths attacked Semarks newsagents, in Scarborough Terrace, York.

As one of the attackers climbed on to the counter to reach the till, she beat him back with a 5ft steel-tipped wooden pole.

The pole is normally used to open and close the metal shutters on the shop windows.

Mrs Semark was alone in the shop, which she runs with her husband Kevin, when the robbers came in on Thursday.

She said: "I had just opened the door, ready to let customers in, when two youths in their late teens came in.

"Their faces were covered so I could just see their eyes.

"I got up and saw one of them had what looked like a big carving knife, or bread knife.

"They said they wanted cash and asked me to open the till. I said: 'No, no way.'

"I turned round and grabbed the pole I use for the shutters.

"I had a bit of a struggle with one of them with the pole. He told the other one to get to the till and he climbed up on to the counter.

"I yanked the pole away from the other one and whacked him.

"I managed to get him off the counter by hitting him and chased them both out of the shop by threatening them with the pole."

The youths, both described as slim, and wearing peaked caps, dark clothing and scarves over their faces, ran off empty-handed.

It was not until Mrs Semark saw the CCTV footage that she realised both raiders had been brandishing knives.

She said: "The police asked me why I didn't just give them the money. But it takes us a lot of hours and a lot of hard work to earn that money."