This is the moment a brave 63-year-old petrol station worker saw off a thug trying to rob her at gunpoint with just her mop.

CCTV footage of the hapless heist shows the would-be thief walking across a snowy forecourt in southern Russia clutching a bottle.

As he gets to the pay booth he shoves a handgun through the kiosk window and demands the takings.

But instead of paying up, the cashier grabs her mop and batters his gun hand until he pulls it back.

Then she grabs anything of value – including the card reader – and disappears into a back room.

After waiting for her to come back, the gunman – arrested later by police – gives up and walks away.

The gun later turned out to be a toy, but the cashier did not know that at the time of the botched robbery, say police.

Newsflash obtained a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Bashkortostan dated 16th February, saying: “In Kushnarenkovsky district, police officers detained a robbery suspect.

“The suspect, with the threat of a toy gun, tried to steal money from a petrol station employee.”

The statement said: “On the night of 14th February, the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Kushnarenkovsky District received a statement from the head of the petrol station about the robbery against a 63-year-old employee. An investigative team was sent to the scene.”

The police explained: “According to preliminary data, it was established that the suspect, armed with a toy gun and drinking alcohol, decided to go in search of adventure.

“Since it was late, the outlets were closed. However, along the way, he came across a 24-hour petrol station, which he decided to raid.

“Approaching the cash register, the attacker, at gunpoint, began to demand money from the station worker.

“Frightened for her life, the woman began to call her boss while fighting off the raider with a mop.

“At this time, the man, noticing that she was telling someone about what was happening, decided that the woman had contacted the police.

“Frightened, the attacker left the scene of the crime. The head of the petrol station, who had arrived by that time, was able to catch the criminal, who was walking near the petrol station, and called the police.”

Police said the suspect, who has not been named, is 27 years old and was drunk.

They said: “The suspect was under the influence of alcohol. It turned out to be a previously repeatedly convicted 27-year-old resident of the village of Taraberdino.

“The man was taken to the police station, where he confessed. As it turned out, the attacker needed money and in order to intimidate the victim, the man took a toy gun with him.

“Currently, a criminal case has been initiated on the fact of robbery on the grounds of a crime provided for by Part 1 of Article 162 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

“The suspect was taken into custody, the toy gun was seized.”

The investigation is ongoing.