A defiant shopkeeper who refused to stump up cash when held at knifepoint has vowed to stay behind her counter.

Tara Patel was stood behind the counter of Jenna's Newsagents on Trafalgar Street, Brighton, when the masked robber struck.

With a black stocking covering his face, the raider pulled out a knife and demanded money from the till.

But the brave shopkeeper stood her ground before shouting for help.

Mrs Patel said: “It was quite a frightening experience.

“At first I thought it was a joke but then he took out the knife.

“I was so frightened that I didn't think to look closely at him.

“Luckily the shop door was open and I started shouting.

“I told the man I could hear people coming and he just ran out of the shop.

“It was a near miss.”

Amazingly she was back on the shop floor just hours after the trauma.

Mrs Patel, who has run the newsagents at the bottom of Trafalgar Street with her husband for more than 20 years, said: “My daughter had the day off and she stayed with me until closing time.

“I was quite shocked but the thing is if you let it affect you then you might never get back in the shop.

“I remembered back to what I went through when we were robbed ten years ago.

“You have to be brave and get on with it.”

The attempted robbery took place on Wednesday at 1pm.

Mrs Patel described the armed male as tall, white and in his twenties.

Witnesses in the Great Eastern pub opposite the shop spotted him running towards St Peter's Church.

Sussex Police believe the attempted robbery is connected to a similar raid on the One Step shop and post office in Whitehawk Way, Brighton, two hours earlier.

An armed masked male threatened staff with a knife and took an unknown amount of cash.

He was wearing blue jeans, white trainers and a dark jacket.

A spokeswoman for the police confirmed inquiries into both incidents are ongoing.

Anyone with information should call police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

• The Argus received information from Sussex Police that it was St Noah's Newsagents on Trafalgar Street that was the scene of Wednesday's attempted robbery. We apologise for any confusion.