Two shopkeepers at an Auckland mobile store managed to fight off armed offenders by throwing items at them.
Armed with hammers and a golf club, four masked people entered Hotspot Electronics in Manukau on Saturday and started smashing the glass before running off.
Two workers can be seen chasing the offenders out of the store after throwing a cardboard box and pushing them away with a chair.
A police spokesperson said they were called after an aggravated robbery on Norman Spencer Drive about 6.05pm.
“Fortunately no one was injured during the incident. Electronics were reported to have been taken.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
Sunny Kaushal, chairman at ministerial advisory group on the victims of retail crime, said it was a sad reality that shop workers felt they had to stop offenders themselves.
“These kind of robberies and assaults destroy businesses and livelihoods, the retailers and consumers are paying a high price of this disorder.
“This sense of impunity harms us all. It escalates violence and encourages more criminals to do more crime – because they know they can get away with it.
He said the law needed to back retailers who defend themselves and their property.
“Progress is being made but more needs to be done.”
