A brave customer has tried to scare off two armed robbers who stormed a bar in Auckland's east.
The man, in his 60s, grabbed a bar stool and shoved one of the men before trying to grab the gun from the other.
The quiet night at the local pub escalated to the point staff and customers were forced to defend themselves against two masked men brandishing weapons.
One had a gun; the other was armed with a knife or a screwdriver. But that didn't stop one 65-year-old regular to 123 Palm Bar from trying to defend his turf.
Using a bar stool he fought back, repeatedly hitting one of the men before grabbing for the other's gun.
The scuffle distracted the pair just long enough for a staff member to lock the front doors.
"It did stall them for a bit because she was hoping for the police to come in time. They called the police but they didn't come. It took about 15 minutes to get here," he said.
By that time, the robbers had noticed the "touch to exit" button, and escaped.
It's not the first time the bar has been targeted. In October 2014, two other armed men stormed the bar, and just a few months before that a staff member was beaten during another terrifying hold-up.
Last year, people tried to smash their way through the glass doors and into a private party. Now, the bar's owner, Amy, has had enough.
Amy has owned bars in Auckland for 16 years and says she's been robbed at least 10 times. Each time she loses more than just cash from the till - customers are scared to return, and so are her staff.
Newshub.
