A brave shopkeeper yesterday beat off two burly raiders -- with a giant-sized bottle of bubbly.

But yesterday slightly-built Serpentine Liquors owner Gene Lines, 58, said: "I'm not brave -- I was just fighting for my rights.'' Mr. Lines blew his top after a strapping six-foot plus man leapt the counter and grabbed and punched him while his accomplice went for the till.

But Mr. Lines -- who suffered a split lip and bruising in the attack -- broke free, snatched up a large size bottle of sparkling wine and hurled it at his attacker as he fled. He said: "Unfortunately, I missed -- if I hadn't he'd still be here.'' But he added he could not stop the other man from grabbing around $285 in cash and escaping.

The two raiders struck at the Serpentine Road, Pembroke, shop at about 1 p.m.

Mr. Lines said the two men came into the shop, bought two bottles of beer and left. But minutes later they returned and complained about the quality.

The shopkeeper said: "I said I'd give them back their money -- I was trying to be nice.

"I opened the till and was looking down at it when the big guy jumped over the counter.'' He added: "This kind of thing has never happened to me before -- but I've been more frightened than this.

"It's typical junkie land now -- but I won't be nervous about it. It's just one of these things which happen.'' The two men are believed to have escaped on a red motorcycle and were last seen on Pitts Bay Road, heading towards Spanish Point.

Mr. Lines, who has a lot of regular customers, said it was the first time he had seen the two men.

He added: "My customers were shocked -- they couldn't believe that something like this happened to me.'' The robbery is the latest in a string of store raids over the last few months.

The Burrows Lightbourn liquor store, Harbour Road, Paget, was robbed by a masked, knife-wielding raider in November last year.

Only hours before that incident, two men -- one toting a gun -- robbed the Riddell's Bay Esso gas station and escaped with an undisclosed sum.

And in October last year, a 77-year-old man suffered injuries to his arm and leg after two men entered the Somerset News Agency, threw him to the ground and raided the till.

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