Pole-dancing mum in 15-minute fight with hammer robber

Lisa Woodhead, 33, grabbed the robber and clawed at his face when he targeted her e-cigarette store in Rotherham.

She battled against the raider for 15 minutes before two people came to her aid and he eventually gave up and fled empty-handed.

Ms Woodhead, of Sheffield, who had returned to work just five weeks earlier, following the birth of her second child, credited pole dancing with giving her the muscles to take her male assailant on.

She said: “I did say to the police when they first interviewed me that I did pole dancing.

“Now as soon as you say that to men, they think it is just you dancing around a pole. But it’s not - I do it for strength and fitness.

“The robber went to hit me with the hammer so I grabbed hold of it. We had a massive struggle in the shop for about 15 minutes.

“I can honestly say pole dancing has given me better strength, and that’s why I didn’t let go of the hammer.

“The robber couldn’t get it off me - my grip is extremely good.”

The robber struck at the eCloud shop at 9.50am last Friday, wearing dark clothing and a dark hat. Police are appealing for witnesses.