Heartbroken locals collected almost 1,000 signatures to halt the transfer of their local shop manager to another store.

Muhammad Sajjad (34) who moved to Ireland from Pakistan in 2004 worked at the Centra store in East Wall in Dublin for more than a decade before he was transferred.

“The people signed the petition because I love them and they love me,” Muhammad told Independent.ie.

“I was very surprised and delighted when I heard about the petition. I’m black and Pakistani but the community don’t see me for my colour or my country. I love them and they love me so they wanted me back.

“It’s normal for me to be moved from one Centra to another at any stage but the community wanted me back so they rang my boss and gave him a petition of over 1,000 signatures."

Muhammad said he hopes to return to the Centra at East Wall in the next two weeks, as soon as a replacement is found for him in the new store.

He said he just “does his job” but that he cares about his customers.

“I help a lot with old people in the community. I sometimes deliver their shopping if they can’t walk and help them if I can. Whatever I can do, I do. I love East Wall and the people.”

Muhammad said he’s “delighted” to be returning to the shop in next few weeks.

“I’m delighted to go back to the lovely people in East Wall. I do my job the same everywhere and I do it with love.

"The main thing is the love of Irish people. In a time time when the world is fighting Muslim and non Muslim and black and white the thing we need to highlight that there is one country in the world where people love each other without any difference of colour, nationality and religion."

Online Editors