Police Minister Michelle Roberts says there is “no excuse” for the behaviour of an angry mob who ransacked a Kelmscott shop after a nine-year-old boy was locked in a storeroom.

The owner of Kelmscott IGA X-press released CCTV vision of the December 30 incident on Sunday.

His lawyer John Hammond said it was an attempt to “level the playing field” after police said the owner would be charged with illegally detaining the boy.

PerthNow understands charges are likely to be laid against several members of the mob, who were captured in the vision assaulting the owner, trashing the store and stealing items.

The group went to the store after being told the boy was being held there.

“No matter what’s occurred, there is no excuse for that response,” Mrs Roberts said.

“Police will investigate that footage and they will take the appropriate action. It is not something that should have happened.”

Police said this month that the 41-year-old shop owner would be charged with aggravated assault and deprivation of liberty after he allegedly dragged the boy to a back room and locked him in after catching him stealing a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Mr Hammond told 6PR his client was a hardworking family man who had been repeatedly targeted by shoplifters.

“What happened in late December ... it got totally out of hand,” he said.

“It was a complete looting of his store.

“This man has been the subject of countless thefts and abuse and a lot of it is captured on CCTV. Since ... April last year he says there has been at least 40 incidents of theft.”

Mr Hammond said his client denied assaulting the boy.