Exact moment heroic shopkeeper stops thieves trying to steal case of beers from store

Shocking footage has been released showing the moment a shopkeeper stopped two thieves from stealing a crate of beer.

Billy Maher was working at a Nisa Local in Walton, Cambridgeshire, when a masked man came in and grabbed a box of Foster's from the shelf.

In CCTV footage from the incident, a woman can be seen trying to close the door as the man approaches.

However, she is quickly shoved out of the way by another balaclava-clad thief standing outside.

And this is when Billy comes charging over, slamming into the lad holding the crate while his mate whales on him, trying to get his accomplice free.

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Not wanting any more trouble, the two lads eventually run off.

Billy, 62, and his team then run for cover as the glass door to the shop is smashed in with a hammer, covering the first member of staff in glass as he sat on the shop floor.

Speaking about the terrifying ordeal, Billy said: "The adrenalin kicks in and you think of your staff's safety. I got hold of him and I had to smack him round the gob. It was scary."

Police are now looking for a man in connection with the attempted robbery at the Nisa Local in Walton near Peterborough, which took place on 8 April at about 8.30pm.

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But Billy isn't the first shopkeeper to take on a would-be thief of late.

Earlier this month, footage was released that showed Niall Stranix tackling a gun-wielding robber at a One Stop store in Leeds.

The assailant stormed into the shop, armed with what appeared to be a handgun as he violently threatened a member of staff at the counter.

But unfortunately for him, he came up against Niall, who fancied his chances with the thief, later identified as Marlon Stewart, who committed '13 crimes in the space of about 20 minutes on the evening of July 19 last year'.

West Yorkshire Police

In the scuffle, Stewart fights back, striking the shop assistant on the head with a bottle resulting in two cuts.

Throughout the encounter, the 37-year-old robber's mask begins to slip and his face is revealed to the shop’s cameras, which is what eventually led officers to identify the suspect.

The end of the footage shows Stewart fleeing the scene 'empty-handed' in a hijacked vehicle while Niall is 'still in pursuit'.

Officials were able to locate the criminal and arrested him a few months later (29 September).

Stewart later pleaded guilty and to all the offences and was issued 'an extended sentence of ten years and four months imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years' on 17 April.