Another raid at shop plagued by thugs

A COUPLE who run a convenience store fought a gang of robbers who stole beer and attempted to break open their cash till during a morning raid.

Sahibzada Kamran received injuries including broken fingers during the raid at the Londis Top Shop on Ripponden Road, Moorside.

Mr Kamran (32) said: “We were robbed on Sunday at 8.15am. Three men came inside the shop and a fourth was outside. One had a large bar.

“They stole beer from the shop and tried to break open the till but couldn’t get any money.

“We fought them off and I had a broken finger. I went to hospital to get some stitches to my hand.”

He and his wife, Simon Xenodike, from Middleton, have been running the shop for eight months for a cousin of Mr Kamran’s, who lives in Middleton.

However Mr Kamran said they have been plagued by a group of men, sometimes drunk, with threats of violence and death, and racist abuse.

Mr Kamran said he recognised at least one of the men in Sunday’s incident from previous incidents around the shop.

He said: “It’s a miserable situation and we feel totally insecure. My wife, who is 24 and has links to Hungary, works here but I’m worried about her security. We cannot eat properly because of the threats and the men banging on windows.

“We’ve had some problems in the past and spoken to the police. However there wasn’t any evidence for the police to use. Now we have CCTV footage of the robbers on Sunday morning which the police are looking at.”

A spokesman from Greater Manchester Police said: “Three men and a 17-year-old youth have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and bailed pending further inquiries into an alleged incident at the Londis Top Shop on Sunday morning.

“There was a disturbance when offenders took alcohol from the shop. An altercation followed and the offenders then left the shop. CCTV footage will be looked at as part of the ongoing inquiries.”