Owner’s anger as shop hit six times in five years

THREAT: one of the hooded men with a knife

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A FED-UP shopkeeper is questioning whether to keep his business open after a sixth armed raid in five years.

Five hooded men armed with a carving knife and hammer burst into Raja Off Licence in Hardman Lane, Failsworth, as dawn broke yesterday.

CCTV captured the raiders as one thug pushed a member of staff to the ground and the others stole cash and goods worth £2,000.

Owner Sheikh Muhammed (36) says he is at his wit’s end after the latest violent attack.

Mr Muhammed believes the raiders “don’t fear” prison and punishments aren’t strong enough.

He said: “These people are simply not scared anymore; they don’t care for the effect they have on people like me, who are trying to make a living. I don’t know what to do for the future. I can’t afford for this to keep happening.”

Mr Muhammed’s relative, who was watching the store, was unharmed in the frightening five-minute ordeal.

A 14-year-old boy from Shaw was convicted of an attempted robbery last December following a separate raid on the store in February, 2011. Arrests were made after the Chronicle published images of the attack. The owner now hopes that can happen again.

The five-strong gang escaped in a waiting Peugeot 307 driven by a sixth man. They fled towards Failsworth’s Metrolink station.

The first man is white, in his early 20s, around 5ft 9in and medium build. He wore a black hooded top, black trousers and black woollen gloves and was carrying a black hammer.

The second man is white, around 20, 5ft 7in, slim and was wearing a purple hooded top and black gloves.

The third man - white, around 20, 5ft 10in, medium build - was wearing a black hooded top and grey trousers and carried a kitchen knife.

The fourth man was darker-skinned than the others, around 20, 6ft tall, medium build. and was wearing a grey hooded top and gloves. There is only a limited description of the fifth man, believed to be white.

If anyone can help police with their inquires or the men in the pictures, call Oldham CID on 0161-856 8965 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.