WINCHMORE Hill's own supergran Marie Brown took on a bullying youth using self-defence techniques she picked up fending off gropers in India during the Second World War.

Mrs Brown, 77, of Green Dragon Lane, was walking home from local shops when a schoolboy began circling her and shouting in her ears.

The plucky pensioner shoved the troublesome lad with the palm of her hand to keep him away -- one of the methods she used as a Wren (Women's Royal Naval Service) to ward off teenagers who tried to molest her while on overseas duty in the Far East.

She said of the young troublemaker: "He said 'give me a kiss' and then he burped in my face. It was quite horrible. I pushed him with my hand."

Another technique the Wrens were taught to use against men who grabbed at them in the street was to hit them with bags full of books.

But in her Enfield encounter, the antagonist was spared a whack from her shopping bag.

She said: "I automatically went to hit him with my shopping but I thought it's not worth squashing and spoiling my bananas.

"When I was in India there was a college for the Wrens. If you went out by yourself you would take three books in a bag.

"Sometimes there would be five or six men trying to touch you on the bosom as they passed on bicycles.

"The thing to do was to lash out with the bag and knock them off. That really taught them not to fool about."

Altough the aggressive youngster did not touch Mrs Brown, she decided to report the July incident to the police.

She said: "I don't think they will catch anyone but I felt I should let them know what had happened. It was very unpleasant."

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