Have-a-go-hero Leslie Shott grabbed the barrel of a gun while it was aimed at his face by a shop raider.

Mr Shott came face-to-face with the robber brandishing an air pistol at Staverton Convenience Store on Sunday night, after going to the aid of 52-year-old shop owner Mohammed Ullah.

Mr Shott, 34, who lives in a flat above the Meadow Court shop on the marina, heard youths making a noise outside at 10pm. He went down to investigate as there had been a problem with thefts earlier in the day.

He said: “Mohammed unlocked the door for me and another man, a delivery driver from the Indian restaurant across the way, was also inside. The two kids pushed through the door after me. I turned around to ask what they were doing and they swore at me. One of them said, ‘you don’t know who I am’ and after we exchanged a few words one of them pulled out the gun and brought it right up to my face.

“I stepped forward towards him and put my hand over the muzzle and kept it down and then pushed his face down on the floor.”

Mr Shott said time stood still for a second before he grabbed the gun. The raider broke free and they continued the scuffle outside. Mr Shott held on to the gunman until police arrived. He said: “I am unemployed at the moment but I was a fabricator welder so I am used to having my wits about me and paying attention to detail.”

Mr Shott spent his childhood at school in New Jersey in the USA and he had gained a knowledge of guns. “Everyone has guns there,” he said. “If you go in to a video store they give you a DVD explaining how to operate a gun.

“It was because of this that when I had the gun pulled on me on Sunday I was able to identify it as an air pistol and grabbed it.

“An air pistol is much narrower at the end of the barrel. I did think afterwards the other guy could have had a knife and gone for me too but I just acted on impulse to stop them hurting anyone.

“An air pistol like that could kill someone at a close range.”

Mr Shott, who has lived above the shop with partner Steph and 18-month-old daughter Caitlin for 18 months, said he had spoken to the gunman as they wrestled on the floor.

“When I had him pinned down at the end and had taken the gun off him I told him, ‘how dare you pull a gun on me in public’.

“I told him that he had ruined his life through his actions as the police were going to turn up any second and he started to cry. He begged forgiveness from Mohammed and told him there had been a mistake.”

Mr Ullah praised Mr Shott for his bravery. He said: “I am very grateful to Les. I don’t know what would have happened if my friend had not been here and stepped in like that.

“I had been having trouble earlier that night. Young people came in and took bottles of Strongbow cider and ran off. I was shaking at the thought of what happened.”

He has given Mr Shott a bottle of champagne to thank him.

l A 19-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery.

Two other men, aged 17 and 23 years old, both from the area, were arrested on Monday in connection with the incident. All three have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.