CALLOUS yobs are terrorising convenience store staff with verbal and physical abuse as well as stealing booze.
Throughout last week, a group repeatedly targeted Costcutter, on Rectory Road, Pitsea.
The saga began on Monday when beer was stolen from the shop, but became worse the next day when a member of staff was assaulted.
On Tuesday, staff were forced to press the panic button after colleagues were attacked and brutally punched in the face when the group, believed to be the same yobs, returned.
By the time manager Suba Varatharasa could get there, police had already arrived at the scene and a member of the team was being rushed to hospital.
Mr Varatharasa said: “Last Monday they came to the store and tried to buy alcohol, but they didn’t have ID so we sent them away – they were underage and looked around 17 to 19.
“As they were walking out they stole a crate of ten beers, so we banned them from the shop. The next day they came back, two were inside and two were outside, so the team asked them to leave.
“They started to get quite violent and began shouting – one of them started hitting our staff, punching them in the face.
“Two were hurt in the attack, which happened around 4.17pm, and as soon as someone pressed the panic button to call the police they ran. Within two minutes they were gone.”
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The incident comes after a member of staff from KFC, on High Road, Pitsea, was assaulted back in January.
Mr Varatharasa continued: “It is a worry this is happening, when you’re punched in the face it does leave you quite shaken up.
“Thankfully our staff are okay now, but one had to be taken to hospital where his nose was bleeding quite badly just in case there was a breakage or something more seriously wrong. You just never know and it’s better to be safe than sorry, but thankfully pain killers did the trick.
“The group were hanging around outside the shop again on Thursday and keep coming back, so I do worry this could happen to other businesses nearby.”
Anyone with information should report it to 101.
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