An Italian thief got a little more than he bargained for during a hold-up of a  local supermarket when he was attacked by an off-duty policeman.

The attempted heist was recorded on closed-circuit television at the supermarket in Frascati, 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Rome.

The masked robber ran into the supermarket and pointed his pistol at one of the cash till attendants.

A Carabinieri who was shopping at the time and in civilian attire, grabbed the man and managed to disarm him, before the robber ran off, escaping in his waiting car.

The gun was later discovered to be a fake. Police are still searching for the thief.

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