'Supergran' Who Clobbered Robbers Angry That Others Watched

Feb. 9, 2011 — -- Ann Timson might have arthritis in her legs, but few would know that based on the way the granny ran across a street in England swinging her purseat a gang of jewel robbers.

The 71-year-old woman rushed into action Monday when six robbers, with sledgehammers, attempted a smash-and-grab at a jewelry store in Northampton, England.

Tmson told The Sun newspaper that she was talking to a friend after doing some shopping when she heard loud noise coming from a jewelry store called Michael Jones Jewellers.

"I saw a kid run up to the doorway of the jeweller," Timson told The Sun. "Three lads followed him and, when I saw their arms going, I thought the kid was being beaten up."

Wearing a bright red coat to match her fiery red hair, Timson took action. She charged down the street, broke up the robbery and caused the men to flee without taking anything. Timson told the British newspapers that her "motherly instinct" propelled her to act.

"What concerned me was that too many people just stood around watching as if they were in shock and nobody was doing anything. ... When I got closer to them I realized it was a robbery and then I was even more angry that they felt they could get away with what they were doing in broad daylight," Timson told the Daily Mail.

The robbers reportedly threatened Timson with their sledgehammers, but Timson kept swinging, knocking one of the men off of his motorbike.

The owner of the jewelry store expressed his gratitude to Timson.

"I am absolutely amazed...it was unbelievable. No one does that sort of thing. Amazing courage and bravery and she ran so far to get involved," Luke Allebone, owner of Michael Jones Jewellers, said.

Super Granny's remarkable feat was captured on video and uploaded to the Internet, instantly catapulting the private grandmother to international stardom.

Supergran Says She Would Attack Again

"It goes against all of human and evolutionary history to put yourself in that kind of risk if there's not a very compelling reason, at least a perceived reason in your mind," Amanda Ripley, author of "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes," said. "I think it's not just the risk of someone dying, it's what it's like to live with the knowledge you could have done something and you didn't," Ripley said.

Timson admitted that what she did was dangerous.

"In the cold light of day, I know I put myself in danger. But I probably would do the same again," Timson told the Daily Mail. "I am not a hero and it was maybe foolish of me to get involved, but somebody had to do something."

Four of the six men involved in the attempted robbery have been arrested.

ABC News' Nick Watt contributed to this report.