A BRAVE business owner was left shaken after her shop was targeted by two men who she believed were going to raid her till.

Penny Sinclair, of Pennies Needlework and Crafts on Shaw Walk, just off the High Street, was in the shop on Friday (June 3) when the two men approached the business shortly after 12.30pm.

The 51-year-old said: “Two young men in their twenties turned up and started playing with the rolls of fabric outside the shop.

“I told them to put it back and sure enough they put it down straight away and said sorry but then they proceeded to come into the shop.”

Once the men were inside she says their behaviour became more intimidating and that is when she believed they were going to raid the till on the premises.

She continued: “They both went separate ways, one went round to the left where the polystyrene balls are and started throwing them around and laughing.

“They then both approached the till from different sides. I was over by the door and could see what was happening.

“They got to the till and one of them put his hand on it and that is when I knew that they were going to empty the till. I ran over and leaned in front of them to get the key and hung on to both the till and the key.

“At that moment all I could think of was protecting my shop and the till.”

Describing how she defended her business, she said: “That was when I shouted at them to get out of my shop, I said ‘you don’t need to be here’. They just stood there for a few minutes before they left.

“When I think about it now I was lying across the counter and one of them could have hit me on the head quite easily. I was very shaken but I wasn’t hurt and they didn’t steal anything.

“However I think they targeted me because I’m a woman on my own and, to them, I was vulnerable. I’m only a little lady and I stood up to two well-built chaps.”

Miss Sinclair has owned the shop for 26 years but it has been in the family for 55 years, with her parents and grandparents owning it before her.

She called the police and two officers attended the scene but as no actual offence took place the matter was not taken any further.

Reflecting on the incident, she said: “I’m furious, now I realise what I did. My life is my shop and to think that somebody thinks they can come in and steal from me, no way. That’s why I stood up to them, I had to protect my shop.”