'I still don’t know why I said no,' says Karen Croker, 44, who has been called a hero. 'I’m obviously a bit stronger than I thought'
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A.J.'s convenience store in Crescent Road, Middlesbrough
A brave mum has spoken of the moment she stood up to a robber who threatened her with violence.
Karen Croker was working at A.J’s convenience store on Crescent Road, central Middlesbrough, when a man approached the counter and demanded money.
The mum-of-three said when she refused he produced what appeared to be a weapon concealed in a carrier.
But Mrs Croker continued to stand her ground and attempted to grab the weapon at which point a customer entered the shop and the man fled empty handed.
“I still don’t know why I said no,” said the 44-year-old.
“I’m obviously a bit stronger than I thought.”
She said it wasn’t until afterwards that the reality struck.
“In my head it felt like it lasted an hour when in fact it was really no more than a minute.
“I must have been shaking because afterwards I know I struggled to lock the door.”
Store owner John Bird, 56, hailed the Middlesbrough mum - who has only worked at the shop for seven months - a hero.
“She was heroic as far as I am concerned,” he said.
“I can’t believe a person who has worked here for just a short time handled the situation so well.”
Mrs Croker’s daughter Zoe, 18, was working in the shop’s stockroom when the robber struck at 6.45pm on Sunday.
It wasn’t until Mrs Croker spoke to police later that she said she thought about what could have happened.
Having previously worked in pubs she said this was the first time she has experienced a robbery and her response has taken even her by surprise.
The incident happened just days after an armed robbery on the same road which occurred on February 7, when two men wearing balaclavas targeted two Loomis security guards filling up the cash machine outside Sainsbury’s.
Katie Lunn
Scenes of Crime Officers at Sainsbury's Local store in Middlesbrough
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They were brandishing a large machete-type weapon.
After a scuffle, one of the security guards was frog-marched inside the store and they were threatened into handing over a substantial amount of cash.
Mrs Croker said: “It was a bit of a shock when Sainsbury’s got done.
“Sometimes, behind that counter, you can become quite blasé.
"You don’t think something like this is going to happen.”
The A.J’s robber is described as white, aged 25 to 30, 6ft tall and of a skinny build.
He had long black hair, which could have been a wig, and was wearing a white woollen hat, sunglasses, a grey jacket, black trousers and brown slip on shoes.
He was also carrying a black satchel bag.
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Cleveland Police on 101.
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