Man tells bank robber to shoot his wife

There are a few things you might expect your husband to say when you're facing an armed robber, but this isn't one of them.

Tommy Jones told an armed robber to 'shoot my wife' in the hope of calling their bluff.

He said: "Do or die - It was either, you know, hit first or ask questions after.

"She was on the floor on her knees, he pointed the gun at her head and he said 'I'll shoot her, I'll shoot her'."

"I said, well shoot her then... and he looked baffled. He looked back at me, looked at her looked at me and then shot me again and ran out of the bank and then I ran to the door, pushed it shut and bolted it."

They may be nominated for the Hampshire police bravery award, but how did wife Abbey react to his response.

She said: "I knew when he said it what he was aiming at - to throw the gunman off - but I did think 'thank you very much, that's a nice thing to say'!"

She added: "But I have forgiven him now."

Thankfully his risky tactic worked and saved their lives, but the incident has had long term effects on the couple.

Abbey said: "I'm unable to go inside a bank and I just don't like standing in queues in shops and I'm very wary of what's around me. "

Tommy added: "Seeing my wife on the floor was just - we've been together since we were 11 and 12 - we've known each other since then.

"We've been married 31 years and I wasn't going to let it end in the bank there.

"We were going to win, I was coming out of there alive. That's what triggered me to do what I did."