A BRAVE handyman has been praised for helping foil a supermarket raid by hitting a gunman with his claw hammer.

The 54-year-old worker struck out after a robber pointed a small black handgun at his face and pulled the trigger.

Luckily, the gun jammed. But the raiders used it to strike him about the head, leaving him with a deep cut.

Covered in blood, the worker, who had been fixing a door inside the shop at the time, then hit the gunman in the ribs with the hammer.

Both robbers fled empty-handed and the mystery handyman was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment.

He had volunteered to fix the door at the Kenyon Supermarket in Kenyon Way, Little Hulton when the robbers pounced at 9am on Thursday.

And today police and store owner Vivian Knowles paid tribute to his courage and quick-thinking.

Mrs Knowles said he was a regular shopper who had volunteered to help out but did not want to be identified.

Mrs Knowles said: "I have never seen anything like this in the 16 years I have been here. It has come as a real shock to everyone.

"He did not know they had a gun. They just said 'give me your money.'"

"We all owe him a big thank-you."

The robbers joined a third man outside and they sped off in a silver Vauxhall Carlton, registration number F184 CWT.

It had been stolen earlier from Stretford and was later found dumped in Swinton.

Det Insp Danny Woodward, of Swinton CID, said: "This person was very brave but people are advised not to tackle gunmen. It was a very nasty incident."

Anyone with information should contact Swinton CID on 0161 856 5345 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.