Yobs who battered a Runcorn shopkeeper have been branded "scumbags" after a video of the assault went viral.
Shocking footage of the brutal attack circulating on social media shows a group of young teenagers surround the victim, throwing punches and grappling him to the floor where he appears to be held and repeatedly kicked.
It is reported to have happened as youths gathered at about 8pm on Saturday outside the Spar store in Palacefields local centre.
There has been an outcry on social media over the incident.
One resident, who asked not to be named, told the ECHO the youths had been running in and out of the shop and appeared intoxicated, and despite the ferocity of the attack, there was little or no attempt to help the victim from bystanders.
Smeone in the clip can be heard calling "get the f*** off him".
A girl can also be heard squealing and saying "get off him, stop it, stop it".
The group were estimated to be between 12 and 15 years of age.
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The victim was left "bruised" during the incident.
The resident said: "It’s appalling what’s happened.
"A shopkeeper shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of violence and the parents should know.
"The scumbags needs a lesson.
"He could have been killed, just an ordinary fella, and he doesn’t deserve that kind of abuse."
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Cheshire police are investigating.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "At around 8pm on Saturday, March 23, police were alerted to an assault outside a shop in Palacefields.
"A 32-year-old man had an altercation with a group of young people who were causing issues in the shop.
"He was then assaulted by the group and received minor injuries.
"Police are making enquiries as to the identity of the young people involved and are reviewing the evidence."
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Insp Paul Fegan said: “While the injuries were relatively minor, this was a shocking display of violence which could have been much worse.
"Behaviour of this nature will not be tolerated and we are currently conducting enquiries to help us establish the identities of those involved.
"If anyone has any information that may help us, I would urge them to contact us.”
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Anyone with information should contact Cheshire police on 101 quoting reference 19100132523.
Alternatively information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police had already been called out to the area earlier that day to a "disturbance" in a separate incident at 3pm.
A 15-year-old boy and 30-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
The area by Palacefields shops has experienced intermittent spikes in anti-social behaviour down the years.
Just a few weeks ago in early March, police slapped the area around the shops with three dispersal notices in a bid to clear the area of young louts who had been drinking booze.
In January 2015, police deployed plain clothes officers and issued dispersal orders after reports of up to 70 young louts besieging the neighbourhood.
