Brixton shop worker shot in face during robbery Published duration 3 November 2015

media caption Police are looking for two men who robbed a convenience store in Brixton

Surgeons are trying to save the sight of a shop worker who was shot in the face during a robbery in south London.

Two men in their 20s entered a convenience store in Brixton and one of them, armed with a pellet gun, shot at a 44-year-old man behind the counter.

Some of the pellets lodged in the victim's eyes and face.

The second man stole the cash register and they both ran off. Met Police have released CCTV footage of the "vicious attack" in a bid to catch the robbers.

The offenders are described as being of medium build and were seen wearing hooded tops and running off in the direction of Thornbury Road in Brixton.

The robbery happened at about 20:35 GMT on 25 October at the Phambra Foodstore, in Lyham Road.

Det Con Ben Turner said: "This was a vicious attack that could have left a man blinded.

"We desperately want to find the men responsible for this crime. They used gratuitous violence to carry out this robbery and are clearly dangerous."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police.

One convenience store worker is seriously injured during robberies or attempted robberies about every six months in mainland UK, The Association of Convenience Stores spokesman said.

There are more than 50,000 convenience stores in the mainland UK and tens of thousands of newsagents and other specialist food stores.

"Serious incidents are thankfully still quite rare, but around half of all convenience store workers, especially in the smaller stores, report facing verbal and physical abuse on a regular basis," the spokesman said.