ANGRY newsagent Noel Booth told a gun-toting robber to "get lost" before chasing him out of the shop.

Despite having the handgun pointed at his chest, blazing mad Mr Booth said he was not going to let someone "muck up" his livelihood.

The 63-year-old was in his paper shop in Tennyson Avenue, Bury, at 2.55pm on Christmas Eve when a man walked in wearing a ski hat and with a scarf covering his face.

Mr Booth said: "When I looked down I saw that the man had a gun and he was pointing it at my chest. He then said he wanted money from the till.

"I didn't feel anything other than anger and I told him to get lost. I then got something from behind the counter and ran at him and he fled. I am not going to get up at 5am every morning to sell newspapers and expect some sod to come in and muck it up. I was blazing mad."

The armed man ran off along Burns Avenue as Mr Booth telephoned the police.

In a matter of minutes the Tennyson Avenue area was swarming with police officers, which prompted praise from the newsagent.

Mr Booth said: "It takes a lot to impress me but even as I put the phone down after alerting the operator I could hear a siren approaching.

"A police van raced passed my shop as the officer was intent on finding the offender. The area was quickly swamped by more officers and I was told that the armed response unit was on stand-by should it be needed."

However, despite the efforts of the police, the gunman escaped. He was white, 5ft 7 ins tall, and wore a blue ski hat.

Detectives investigating the attempted robbery are keen to hear from anyone who saw the man enter or leave the newsagents to contact them at Bury CID on 856 8150.