A couple stood up to two violent robbers who tried to hold up their post office with an axe.

Brave Dilip Patel, 53, and his wife Uga were threatened as the men ordered them to hand over money but the couple refused to give up their hard-earned cash without a fight.

Mr Patel feared for his life but it did not stop him taking on one of the robbers who came into the Family Choice grocery store and post office in Hampshire Court, Etchingham Road, Eastbourne.

The post office manager grabbed both ends of the axe and ended up in a violent struggle with the man who had told him "no one would get hurt" if the couple did as they were told.

Mr Patel tried to wrestle the weapon from the man's hand but the thug pushed him and pinned him back before grabbing a handful of cash from a till drawer.

One robber shouted "hit him" to the other during the struggle but Mr Patel was saved from a punch by his wife who triggered the store's panic button alarm.

Both robbers fled the shop as the alarm sounded.

The robbers had grabbed hundreds of pounds but the bungling pair dropped £180 of it as they were chased out of the store by the fearless Mr and Mrs Patel.

Mr Patel told of the terrifying ordeal yesterday as the couple recovered from Tuesday's raid, which they described as their worst day in almost 20 years running the store.

Mr Patel said: "I was in fear of my life but it all happened in a matter of moments. I was shaking at the time but I'm all right now. I've been here for nearly 20 years and this is the first time anything like this has happened."

Both the robbers had entered the store ten minutes before carrying out the raid at about 4.40pm.

They had gone into the shop to ask for a parcel to be weighed.

After it was weighed, one of the men announced it was his "nan's" and took the parcel back and left.

They came back with the parcel later and asked for it to be posted.

Mr Patel said: "I opened the post office door and one of them pushed me.

"He took out the axe and told me to hand over money and no one would get hurt.

"I gripped the bottom and top of the axe. He then pushed me back and grabbed some money out of a drawer.

"My wife pressed the panic button. The man called out to his friend 'hit him'.

"We then both fell over and they both ran out leaving the axe in the shop."

Both robbers are described as white, 22 to 24 years old and with local accents.

One was 5ft 8in, slim, unshaven. He was said to have been wearing a light blue hooded top, blue jeans, trainers and a baseball cap.

The other man was 5ft 10in, slim and clean shaven.

He was wearing a black hooded top, jeans and a baseball cap at the time of the raid.

Today Sussex Police asked anyone with information to call them on 0845 6070999 or to phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.