A SHOP owner and his mother were badly hurt in a `nasty' raid on their newsagents business.
Police have today appealed for anyone with information about the attack on Dinesh Joshi and his 72-year-old mother, Maniben, to contact them immediately.
The two were locking up family business Joshi Newsagents on Swan Lane in Lockwood at 9.45 last night when two youths walked in.
One had a claw hammer and the other a small black handgun.
They tried to steal the till and two more youths then went in - both armed with bricks.
They clubbed 48-year-old Mr Joshi on the head and face with one of the bricks and threw the other at his mother.
Both victims suffered broken noses and Mr Joshi needed 17 stitches in a head wound.
They were allowed home after hospital treatment at around 2am today and plucky Mr Joshi was back behind his shop counter again at 5.20am.
He said: "We are both badly shocked by what's happened. It makes you wonder if it's worth carrying on working."
All the robbers are aged 16 to 20 and wore masks.
Det Con Dave Kinghorn, of Kirklees CID intelligence unit, said: "This was a nasty attack and we would hope people will come forward and tell us who is responsible."
Contact Det Con Brin Taylor at Kirklees CID on 01484 436685.
