A BRAVE have-a-go hero has spoken of the moment he tackled a would-be robber to the floor in a Bradford city centre bank.

Syed Shah, 23, was in the city centre branch of Halifax, on Bank Street, at around 9.40am today when the dramatic scenes unfolded.

RELATED: Police guarding Halifax bank in Bradford city centre after 'attempted robbery'

The customer accounts associate from Manningham had gone into the bank and was waiting to deposit some money when he suddenly heard a bank worker scream that a woman had a knife.

He jumped into action and ran over to the suspect, fearing the situation could turn nasty.

“I grabbed her from behind and slammed her to the floor.

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“I had my knee over her back, another gentleman came over, I said to him ‘grab the knife’.”

Mr Syed, who said the woman had a Stanley knife, said they managed to detain her until police, including armed officers, swooped on the scene.

He added: “I made sure her hands were down and she could not move her hands.

“I was just going in to deposit some money, you don’t expect it. I said ‘why would you do something like this, how stupid can you be?’

“I’ve seen it in movies, but never thought it happened in real life.”

He said he was scared to think what the outcome could have been.

“I know if I had not stepped in, someone would have got injured, 100 per cent.

“I knew someone has a knife, someone might get hurt.

“I saw I had a chance of taking her down, so I took her down.”

He added: “I don’t know what she would have done.”

After the worrying incident, the Telegraph & Argus visited the scene, where officers were guarding the entrance to the bank.

It’s understood it remained closed for the rest of the day while investigations got underway.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Telegraph & Argus: “Police are investigating report of attempted robbery at a bank on Bank Street, Bradford at 9.45am.

“A woman in her 30s was arrested from the scene on suspicion of attempted robbery.

“No one was injured.

“Enquiries remain ongoing at the scene.”

The spokesperson said added that anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101, quoting the reference number 13190234085.”