Bystanders have punched a would-be robber at Morpeth overnight, before putting him in a headlock.
A 19 year old man's accused of trying to rob the Spar Express grocery store in Swan Street last night, where he threatened staff with a knife, demanding cash around 7:10pm.
An off-duty employee who happened to be in the store at the time managed to subdue him along with another witness.
One of the men suffered a cut to their hand as they tried to remove the knife.
"It was quite a courageous thing to do. We don't encourage people to get involved in that way however it has lead to the arrest of this 19-year-old male," Chief Inspector Tony Townsend said.
The accused has been charged with attempted armed robbery and will appear in Maitland Local Court today.