A FAMILY fought off a robber who tried to steal cash from their shop's till.

Hansa Pindoria, her husband Kishor and 18-year-old daughter Sneha managed to keep hold of 26-year-old Bradley Norton until police arrived at their corner store to arrest him.

At Bolton Crown Court Norton was jailed for 27 months after after pleading guilty to attempting to rob KP's Food and Wine on October 8.

David Lees, prosecuting, told how 46-year-old Mrs Pindoria was working in the Worsley Road, Farnworth, store, with her husband and daughter upstairs.

Norton walked in, grabbed three cans of Jack Daniels and put them on the counter before asking for cigarettes.

But when she turned to get them, Norton went round the counter, pushed her and demanded: "Give me the money."

Mr Lees told how, when Norton tried to open the till, Mrs Pindoria grabbed him from behind and there was a struggle.

Hearing the disturbance, Mrs Pindoria's husband and daughter came downstairs to help.

"They all grabbed him and Mrs Pindoria grabbed a plastic bottle and struck Mr Norton over the head — understandable in the circumstances.

"At one stage he [Norton] had his hands around the daughter's neck. She tried to punch him because she thought he might punch her."

During the struggle a stand of sweets was knocked over.

In a victim statement Mrs Pindoria said she was upset by the incident as her family works hard to make a living.

Judge Richard Gioserano heard that Norton, of Athens Drive, Walkden, has recent previous convictions, including one for assaulting his grandmother.

Mark Friend, defending, said: "It is clear the defendant has become an alcoholic and behaved in, what I submit, would be an out of character fashion.

"The offence is an indication of the depths to which he has sunk."

Mr Friend stressed that the attempted robbery was not planned.

"He had a cigarette outside and came into the shop without any effort to disguise himself," said Mr Friend.

Sentencing Norton, Judge Gioserano told him; "You subjected this family to an awful ordeal.

"They can do without people like you trying to take money they worked hard to obtain."