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Shopkeeper hit by drunken yob

26/ 9/2008

A DRUNKEN yob punched and threatened to break the neck of a 60-year-old newsagent before causing thousands of pounds of damage to his store.

Mohammed Younis was in his business on the corner of Newchurch Street, Castleton, with an elderly friend when he became aware of a group of men arguing outside.

When they started banging on his window, he went outside to ask them to stop, but was met with a barrage of abuse.

Mr Younis claimed one of the men threatened to break his neck before picking up a newspaper billboard and throwing it through the shop window.

The man then entered the shop, smashed up a confectionery stand and stamped on stock before punching him in the face.

He fled when he saw Mr Younis calling the police.

Officers responded immediately and Mr Younis went with them in a patrol car looking for the troublemakers.

Since the attack, which happened at about 5pm on Sunday, Mr Younis says he has had difficulty sleeping.

He is also keen for the police to prosecute the man responsible and has CCTV footage of the entire incident.

Mr Younis said: "When I asked the man to move he refused and asked me what I was going to do about it. Then he said he would break my neck and threw the board through the window.

"My friend was shaking, he’s an old man.

"It’s sad it has come to this. We live in Great Britain, not Afghanistan. This kind of thing shouldn’t happen.

"It’s a nice community round here, a residential area. People come here to get the papers before they go to work. Then there’s a few yobs spoiling everything.

"I’ve worked all my life in cotton mills, driven a taxi, every job you can think of, I’ve done. Now I’m an old man and I’m still working, I run this little business just to keep me going, and this happens."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Shortly before 5.15pm on Sunday 21 September, police were called to Bismillah Newsagents in Newchurch Street following a report of a man being assaulted.

"Officers attended and found that a man had been punched in the face following a disagreement.

"An area search with the victim was conducted and a man was arrested on suspicion of common assault.

"He has been bailed until 11 December pending further inquiries."