Would-be robber out-muscled by angry female shop clerk

When an attempted robber meets an aggressive shop clerk, the result may not turn out completely as expected.

One example happened in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on July 1, when a 24-year-old unemployed man, surnamed Zhao, decided to rob a shop after spending his last 200 yuan (US$30), Yangtze Evening News reported.

He hid a fruit knife inside his pocket before entering a supermarket around 4am.

After selecting some food, he walked to the cashier desk where a female clerk told him the total price.

Zhao then asked her to lower the price, which the clerk felt was a little strange.

At that point Zhao took out the knife, pointed it at the clerk and said, "This is a robbery, give me your money."

The clerk soon became angry after the initial shock. She shouted, "What? Do you think I'm afraid of you? Xiao Liu (another colleague), call the police!"

The clerk picked up a duster rag from the desk and showed her intention to beat Zhao with it.

Zhao was quickly intimidated and tried to flee, but the clerk wasn't finished yet. She took chase and the would-be robber was soon caught by a passer-by.

When police arrived at the scene, Zhao had already been apprehended by the female clerk, who was tightly holding his wrist.

Zhao has been detained by police on suspicion of robbery.