Small Heath shopkeepers fought back at armed robbers

Aug 12 2009 by Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

BRAVE Birmingham shopkeepers fought back against armed jewellery raiders leaving one of the gang needing emergency surgery, it emerged today.

Three brothers grappled with up to five masked robbers who were wielding axes and hammers in Yousaf Jewellers, in Small Heath.

Terrified customers – including a young boy aged about five – cowered in terror as the thugs smashed display cabinets containing valuable Asian gold jewellery.

During the struggle, one of the robbers was injured.

A 23-year-old Sparkhill man yesterday underwent surgery for a head injury suffered after possibly being hit with a jewellery tray.

He was today recovering under police guard in hospital.

A second man, aged 19 and from Small Heath, was arrested at the scene after being trapped inside the store by the shop’s electric shutters.

At least three other men escaped with a thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and a city-wide manhunt is under way to find them.

Detectives said the shopkeepers were acting in self-defence.

One of them, who asked not to be named, said: “It was very frightening. They broke the glass of the front door and came running in threatening us with axes and hammers.

“There were customers in here, one of them had a young child, and these axes were being waved around. It’s just not on for them to have to see that.