Mill Hill Broadway attack: Shopkeeper fighting for life after being assaulted for refusing to serve underage teens

A large swathe of Mill Hill Broadway was cordoned off following the assault.
Arc Media Group
Francesca Gillett7 January 2018
WEST END FINAL

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A shopkeeper is fighting for his life after being attacked for refusing to serve a group of underage teenagers, police have said.

The store worker, 49, who is believed to work for off licence Rota Express on The Broadway in Mill Hill, Barnet, is currently on a life support machine following the brutal assault late on Saturday night.

He and a colleague became involved in a dispute with the group of suspects after refusing to serve them because they were underage.

The disagreement spilled out onto the street and the two men were violently attacked at 11.45pm, police said.

The suspects fled and left the victim lying in the road. He was helped by passers-by and paramedics rushed him to a central London hospital where he remains in a critical condition. His fellow shop worker suffered minor injuries.

The attack happened outside Rota Express of the Broadway.
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On Sunday afternoon, Scotland Yard pleaded for witnesses to come forward.

DI Ian Lott, who is investigating the attack, said: "What we know now is that two shop workers have rightly refused to sell items to youths they believed to be underage.

"The three teenage suspects have then made threats before violently attacking both shopkeepers. One of the men assaulted is now on a life support machine.

“We understand that a number of people came to his aid and helped to put him in the recovery position.

"Were you there? Did you see the suspects running away? Some witnesses may have video footage during or after the attack and we would urge them to get in touch with investigators."

A large swathe of Mill Hill Broadway was cordoned off and officers were still stationed on the shopping street on Sunday morning.

A woman working in a nearby coffee shop said three police cars were parked up at the scene at around 8am.

Another person on the street told the Standard: “The police say it is a crime scene and shops are not even allowed to access their premises. Residents are allowed in and out.

“It seems serious. One resident said they saw someone running off at that time and another shopkeeper said an ambulance was in attendance.”

Officers have contacted the man's next of kin as detectives from Barnet continue to investigate. No one has been arrested.

Police said they are looking for three black male suspects, all believed to be youths.

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