A THUG who tried to rob a shop armed with a dumbbell has been jailed.

Waqas Azim, aged 19, of Regent Street, Bury, was found guilty of one count of robbery and at Bolton Crown Court.

He was jailed for five years.

Shortly after 9.30pm on Tuesday November 5, last year, Azim and another man entered Hornby Convenience Store on Hornby Street, Bury.

Azim was armed with a dumbbell and his accomplice with a hammer.

The pair demanded cash before Azim approached the till and smashed it with his weapon.

He then tried to hit the shopkeeper with the dumbbell, but the victim managed to move out of the way.

When he heard the commotion a relative of the shopkeeper came out from a back room.

Azim approached him and hit him on the arm with the dumbbell.

The two robbers then fled in opposite directions.

The shopkeeper and a number of members of the public chased after Azim, who was detained on Hornby Street. Police arrived a short time later and he was arrested.

Det Cons Matt Marquis said: “Azim has armed himself with a dumbbell that he has used as an unorthodox weapon to intimidate, threaten and assault staff during the robbery.

“He and his accomplice thought they could take what they wanted from the shopm but did not bank on the tenacity of the shopkeeper or those members of the public who were determined not to let him get away.

“Their collective public-spiritedness and bravery in helping to ensure a would-be violent robber has been put behind bars is commendable.”