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Granddad tackles deli robber

Take that: Ronald Smith confronts the bandit. Picture: Seven News

A grandfather bravely tried to foil an armed robber at a Beaconsfield deli when he wrestled a pole from the offender's hands and tried to shove him back inside the shop before police arrived.

Ronald Smith, 64, stepped in after seeing a man armed with a pole entering the Fifth Avenue Fine Foods on South Street at about 5.40pm on Saturday.

In security footage, Mr Smith is seen grabbing a sandwich board from outside the store and attempting to push the offender back inside before ripping the pole from his hands and hitting the offender over the head.

The offender, who was wearing a grey hooded jumper, managed to get away with cash but lost his thong when running away.

The shop's owner Shane La Macchia told Seven News that the man had threatened to kill the 19-year-old woman behind the counter if she did not hand over cash.

The young woman, who was working alone, gave the man cash and activated an alarm to alert police.

Mr La Macchia said Mr Smith was a regular at the store and his "perfect timing" almost stopped the offender before police arrived.

"We gave him a case of beer for what he did," Mr La Macchia said.

"I think the offender would have hung around for a long time had he not stepped in and I'm sure he wasn't expecting that during a hold-up."

Mr Macchia said the staff member had been traumatised by the incident and taken several days off work.

Mr Smith said the incident had left him shaken and he hoped the man would be tracked down by police.

"He's a dead giveaway," Mr Smith told Seven News.

"He's got a bad leg and he limps.

"When it was all over he was running for his life then."

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.