Staff hit armed robber with walking sticks

Staff at a Sydney pharmacy have belted a would-be thief with walking sticks after he assaulted two people during an attempted armed hold-up.

Police say the man threatened staff with a sharp wooden implement at a Birrong pharmacy on Tuesday afternoon, then assaulted a female worker and punched a male customer who tried to disarm him.

Three other staff members stepped into the scrum, hitting the man with walking sticks and chasing him out of the store towards a getaway car which was parked at a nearby high school.