A BRAVE 70-year-old who thwarted raiders armed with a sledgehammer as they hit a prestigious jewellers has spoken of the attack.

The have-a-go hero, who gave his name as Michael, fearlessly faced armed robbers as they hit Thurlow Champness and Son jewellers in Bury St Edmunds on Monday morning.

Michael, who lives in a village outside Bury, said he had tackled the gang after they nearly injured his wife seconds before the attempted armed robbery at 9.47am on Monday.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said.

Michael said he rushed into the shop during the raid and was confronted by one of the raiders who threatened him with a sledgehammer.

The robber, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, ran off and left the courageous pensioner with the bag of valuables the would-be thieves had swiped from the jeweller’s shelves.

Det Insp David Giles, the police chief leading the investigation into the attempted robbery in which no-one was hurt, has praised Michael for his brave actions.

Although police helicopters were deployed to track the gang, the men were not found.

The motorcyles were later found in nearby Long Brackland.

Anyone who may have seen the bikes enter Bury town centre or who may have any information about the raid, is asked to call West Suffolk CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For the full story, see tomorrow’s East Anglian Daily Times.