This is the terrifying moment shopkeeper Muhammad Shabbir was smashed over the head by a masked raider wielding a baseball bat and a knife in his Telford shop.

Mr Shabbir was threatened with an eight-inch knife after the raider burst into Crescent Stores in Hadley.

The raider also rained a series of blows on Mr Shabbir’s head and shoulders with the bat – covering the brave 36-year-old shopkeeper in blood.

• See also: Telford shopkeeper tells of raid ordeal

The attack took place in front of Mr Shabbir’s 16-year-old son who fought off the attacker by ramming a Slush Puppy machine at him.

Mr Shabbir’s 90-second ordeal was captured on CCTV, which he released today. Mr Shabbir said he feared for his life as the masked attacker waved the knife, demanding that he open the till.

He said: “It was a big knife and I thought he was going to stab me. I thought I was going to be killed.

“ I was terrified at first and couldn’t do anything.

“I wanted to fight but he was waving the knife and I thought it might cut my throat. He was also hitting my head and shoulders with the bat – there was blood everywhere. He was screaming, ‘Open the till!’, and I was telling him to open it himself, but he couldn’t.”

Mr Shabbir was in the store with his son when the attack happened on November 20. He described the terrifying moment when a man entered his shop between 6.10pm and 6.20pm.

He said he was viciously attacked by the raider, who had his face covered up and his coat hood pulled over his head.

Mr Shabbir said he was attacked with the baseball bat and fell onto the floor before the raider tried to take money from the till.

When the cash register failed to open, the thug produced a knife and threatened Mr Shabbir with it.

“When he entered the shop he hit me with the bat and I fell to the floor.”

The brave trader added: “He then hit me on the arms and the legs. He hit me five or six times. He tried to open the till but it wouldn’t open. Then he waved a long knife at me.

“He was pushing it near me and if I was any closer I could have been stabbed. I didn’t believe what was happening.”

Mr Shabbir’s son initially fled to the back room but the the ordeal eventually came to an end when his son returned and fended off the attacker.

He added: “My son pushed the Slush Puppy machine at him and he ran away.”

The raider turned and fled from the store. Mr Shabbir said he was also able to press a ‘panic button’ during the raid and the police arrived within minutes. They are now hunting the robber, who is also believed to have been captured on other CCTV cameras running from the premises.
Mr Shabbir, a father-of-four, was left bleeding and battered after the attack.

He was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital where his head injury was sealed. The man made off empty-handed but the attack has had a lasting effect on the store owner.

Police are still keen to hear from anyone who may have information on the attack.

Call West Mercia Police on 101 or 0300 333 3000 or people can give information anonymously by telephoning Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.