A SHOPKEEPER told how he wrestled a ten inch blade away from a knife-wielding thug during a terrifying daylight robbery attempt.

The would-be thief even brazenly ordered Sanesh Sadanandan to hand back the weapon after he booted him out of his newsagents in London Road, Leigh.

The knifeman, who fled empty handed, walked into Leigh Convenience Store at about 6pm while Mr Sadanandan, 38, was stocking the shelves.

He said: “I noticed somebody had come in so I moved back to the counter.

“Suddenly there was a knife just an inch from my nose.

“He was shouting at me. He said ‘open the till or I’ll cut you. I’ll kill you’.

“I was so shocked for a couple of seconds.”

Mr Sadanandan said when he moved further behind the counter towards the till he realised the robber would not be able to reach it, giving him time to gather his thoughts.

He pressed a bell to alert wife Geethu, 31, who was upstairs with five-month-old son Indra.

Mr Sadanandan said: “I just came back round and with one hand I grabbed his wrist. I twisted his arm around and in two seconds the knife was in my hand.

“I got him outside but he didn’t go.

“He said ‘Give me back the knife. I have got something else’ and pulled something out of his waistband. It might have been pepper spray but I don’t know.”

By this time, Mr Sadanandan was bleeding heavily from cuts to his fingers.

The thoughtful shop owner, who took over Leigh Convencience Store 17 months ago, said his main concern was not holding the knife directly in front of him in case the thug charged towards him and ended up being stabbed himself.

Mr Sadanandan said a woman on the other side of the road called police during the stand-off.

The man ran away before they arrived.

He was chased by a nearby builder but managed to escape.

Mr Sadanandan said: “What I thought is that if I give him the money then my shop will become a target.

“If I give him £100 he would come back.”

He said the man had a local accent, was aged between 25 and 30, and was wearing a hoodie, with a black scarf around his lower face.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Officers were called shortly after 6.20pm on Thursday, April 28, with reports a man had entered the shop in London Road, Leigh, and demanded money from the 38-year-old victim.

“He threatened the staff member, who grabbed the knife to disarm the suspect and chased him out of the premises. Nothing was stolen.

“A 20-year-old man from Southend was arrested on suspicion of robbery and released on bail pending further enquiries until August 15.”

Anyone with information can call Rayleigh CID on 101.