A "HAVE-A-GO" heroine struck an armed raider in the face with a bleach-soaked mop to try to stop him getting away with a petrol station till.

The female assistant manager of the Thrust station at Selby Fork on the A1 was confronted by a masked man brandishing a knife, who demanded that she hand over the till.

Fearing for her safety, the woman initially took refuge in the office, but then challenged the man, who had by then removed the till from the counter, said Sergeant George Mead, of North Yorkshire Police.

He added: "In an attempt to disable the attacker, the manageress hit him in the face with a bleach-soaked mop."

But the man left with the till, which contained a small amount of cash. The woman was unharmed after the incident, at about 8.30pm on Saturday, said Sgt Mead.

The robber is described as being white, 5ft 8in tall and of slim build. He was in his early 20s and spoke with a local accent.

He was wearing a cream-coloured jacket with brown detail on the cuffs and collar.

Anyone with information about the raid should contact the police on 01904 669659.

Updated: 10:07 Monday, October 08, 2001