A would-be robber was fended off by a 60-year-old woman with a broom - as he brandished an empty glass bottle of Irn Bru. 

Michael Joyce, 25, demanded the shop assistant at Cowden Newsagents in Gourock, Inverclyde, hand over the cash in the till. 

But Mary Robertson was having none of it and used a broom to defend herself against the thug. 

Mary said: "I picked up the big brush because I knew it has some length to it to keep him away. 

"I didn't know if he was going to lunge over the counter or not but I made sure that I was ready for him if he did. 

"I wasn't scared at all. He was high as a kite." 

The hapless crook, of Rannoch Gardens, Port Glasgow, pleaded guilty in Greenock Sheriff Court. 

The court was shown CCTV footage of Joyce swaying on his feet as he attempted to carry out the raid. 

He had previously alerted Mary and her co-worker Melissa Wallis when he staggered into the shop earlier before quickly leaving. 

Prosecutor Kevin Doherty said: "Mr Joyce left two minutes later without purchasing anything then returned some 20 minutes later. 

"He removed a mobile phone charging wire from one of his pockets and began unravelling it before returning it to his pocket. 

"Mr Joyce then moved towards the counter and produced an empty glass Irn-Bru bottle and brandished it towards the witnesses. 

"He demanded that they open the till. 

"Mary Robertson asked him what he'd just said and he repeated that he wanted the till opened as he continued to brandish the bottle. 

"She told him that she couldn't open it to which Mr Joyce replied 'Open it or I'll open it'. 

"Mrs Robertson could see that he appeared to be under the influence of something but noted that he did not smell of alcohol. 

"She lifted up a sweeping brush and pointed it at Mr Joyce and told him in no uncertain terms to leave." 

Joyce then stumbled outside, picked up a shopping basket which contained some cans of lager, and walked off in the direction of Gourock railway station. 

Police found him sitting in the station with his empty Irn Bru bottle and basket of lager. 

Sheriff Iain Fleming remanded Joyce in custody to be sentenced on November 30. 

He is due in another court next week on a separate criminal matter.