A GUNMAN'S post office raid looked like a push- over ... until he faced little Mavis Fazackerley.

Office worker Mavis, 57 years old and just 5ft 1in tall, grappled with the masked robber and tried to wrest his gun from him.

Robber David Simpson, who threatened to shoot, got away but was caught later.

And as Simpson began a six-year jail term today and police praised Mavis's courage, she told how his threats didn't make her frightened ... just angry.

Mavis, who lives in Blackburn, found herself in the middle of a robbery at Preston New Road Post Office, Blackburn.

She said: "I picked up my mother's pension and was on my way out when a loud, insistent voice said 'Fill this up'.

"I thought it was a hoax until I saw the post office assistant who was absolutely frightened to death."

Mavis grabbed the gun from the robber's grasp but he wrenched the firearm away from her and stuck the muzzle into a man's neck - actually his accomplice's - threatening to pull the trigger .

When threatened, Mavis told the robber not to be silly and launched into a fight for the gun, snatching it from his grasp several times.

"My main concern was to get the gun pointing into open space so if it went off no-one would be hurt," she said.

"He realised he wasn't getting anywhere and scarpered.

"At the time I never thought of the dangers. I wasn't frightened, just so angry that this man was putting us through all this." Mavis spent a day at Burnley Crown Court for robber Simpson's case. He was given a six-year jail sentence on two firearms offences

"This is a fair sentence considering the criminal wasn't very old," said Mavis, who works as a typist accountant for Waterworth, Rudd and Hare in Blackburn. "It looked like a botched-up job when he did it and not a professional racket."

Mavis, who is now in line for a police bravery award, revealed it was not the first time she had looked down the barrel of a gun. Three years ago, she walked into an armed raid while working at Witton Mill, Blackburn. "They told me to back off or they'd shoot me," she said. "These gunmen seem to follow me around."

She added: "I don't deserve any special commendation for what I did.

"If we want a safe society we must stand up for what we believe and be prepared to do something about it.

"I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

"My only regret is that I didn't keep hold of him until the police arrived."

Detective Inspector Neil Smith, of Blackburn CID, said: "Mrs Fazackerley showed great bravery in a risky situation.

"This was a very heroic and public-spirited thing to do and her name will be put forward for a courageous conduct award."

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