Shop boss faces up to raider with knife

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Mohammed Saghir Rafiq, 42, described how the raider burst into his Dewsbury shop brandishing an eightinch kitchen knife.

The raider pushed a customer’s little girl out of the way and leaned over the counter demanding cash.

Quick-thinking Mr Rafiq grabbed the nearest thing to hand – a metal bar – and the raider took one look and fled.

The drama happened at Key Store – known locally as Ruby Stores – in Staincliffe Road at just before 11am on Thursday.

Mr Rafiq, who has worked in the family business for 35 years, said he didn’t have time to be afraid.

“It was all instinct and was over in a few seconds,” he said.

“I was serving a lady customer who was in the shop with her two children when the man burst in.

“He told the lady to move her children out of the way and pushed the little girl. He pulled the knife and threatened me and said: ‘I want all the money.’ I said: ‘OK, give me a second, mate’ and grabbed the nearest thing I could.

“When he realised I wasn’t going to give him any money he was off.”

Mr Rafiq then picked up the phone to ring police and went to the door to see which direction he had gone.

He said nothing like that had happened before and added: “I was a bit shaken but I just wish I had caught him.”

Mr Rafiq said he had heard that a shop in Westtown, Dewsbury, had been targeted by a masked raider an hour before and believes it could be the same man.

Detectives from Kirklees CID have launched an investigation and have taken CCTV footage from Mr Rafiq’s shop.

Police say the raider wore a hooded Adidas top with three red stripes, dark-coloured tracksuit bottoms with white stripes on the calf, trainers with three light coloured stripes – which also appear to be Adidas – and black gloves.

It is thought the man ran off down Moorend Lane towards Dewsbury Moor.

Anyone with information should contact Kirklees CID on 101 quoting log number 0442 of December 29.