Bag-Swinging Granny Fights Off Jewel Thieves in England

NORTHAMPTON, England -- A handbag heroine fought off robbers armed with sledgehammers as they attempted a smash-and-grab raid at a U.K. jewelry store, Sky News reported Tuesday.

Footage filmed by a passerby shows six men brazenly smashing their way into the shop in the central English city of Northampton at about 9:30am local time Monday.

As staff activate automated shutters to protect the store's windows, the video shows a woman in a red coat running across the road toward the men, armed only with her handbag. The footage shows her raining blows down on the armed gang with her bag and chasing them away from the store as they attempt to make a getaway on scooters.

But in their panic, two of the men fell off their scooter right in front of the woman, who was bending down to pick up some dropped jewelry but took the opportunity to hit them with her bag once again.

The woman, whose name was not released, told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo on Tuesday what caused her to act so bravely.

"I was standing talking with a woman when I heard a commotion, and I looked across and saw six young men on scooters," she said. "At first, I thought one of them was being set upon by three others. I was not going to stand by and watch somebody take a beating or worse, so I tried to intervene."

Click here to watch the video.