A 16-year-old boy from Leyland remains in custody after a shopkeeper was assaulted during a violent robbery at a Bootle convenience store. Officers from Merseyside Police arrested the teenager following the incident at Corner Pound Store on Hawthorne Road at around 8pm on Thursday, 2 July 2026.
The shopkeeper, 25-year-old Muhammad Shahzad, suffered cuts to his head and arm and a broken finger as he tried to stop a group of teenagers stealing vape products. The four-minute struggle involved three boys wearing balaclavas and tracksuits and two girls. Mr Shahzad said, “The problem is all they want are the vapes. They came in here and tried to fight me just to get to the vapes. I’m very scared, I don’t want to be in here alone because of them.”
Police were called to the store just after 8.30pm following reports the group had assaulted Mr Shahzad and fled with several vape items. The suspects also visited another nearby shop before area searches led to the arrest. Sefton Area Commander Karl Baldwin condemned the attack and said, “I hope this arrest shows how committed we are in supporting our local retailers, by taking firm action against offenders and preventing these crimes. This was a frightening assault on a shop owner who was just doing his job. For them to be faced with violence while they try to earn a living is simply not acceptable.”
The 16-year-old was taken to a Merseyside police station where he remains while enquiries continue. Detectives are appealing for anyone with CCTV footage of Hawthorne Road at the time of the robbery to come forward. The force reference number is 26000532240, and information can be shared via @MerPolCC on X or the Merseyside Police Contact Centre on Facebook.
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