A woman who foiled a bank raid is being honoured for her bravery.

Pamela Mills fought back when a man on the run from Wellingborough prison pointed what she thought was a gun at her stomach during an attempted robbery at Barclays Bank, in Burton Latimer.

She was due to receive a certificate of appreciation from the county police today at a ceremony at the force's Northampton headquarters.

Mrs Mills, 49-year-old magistrate, sprang into action in June last year when the prisoner walked up to the bank counter.

She said: "He was holding something wrapped in a plastic bag and a very tiny piece was sticking out the end which looked like grey plastic tubing.

"He turned the object on me. That's when I realised there were two tubes. I really did think it was a gun and wondered if my time had come.

"I pushed the gun upwards and he ran off. It was all over in a matter of seconds."

The raider, who was caught by police, was jailed for seven years.

It was discovered later that what Mrs Mills had thought was a gun was a piece of plastic tube.