A SHOP owner is calling for action after a violent brawl broke out in his store.

The owner was forced to intervene after watching a man brutally stamp on another’s head inside his shop on Queens Road, Southend, as the fight erupted.

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During the brawl, which happened on Saturday, the owner believes that around £200 damage was caused to the store.

The fight began outside.

The 48-year-old from Southend, said: “It was absolutely traumatic to watch. Two men came flying in with one punching the other and throwing him around.

“They went to the back of the store and knocked the chair flying over, and when I rushed down the stairs I saw a man stamping on the other man’s head. It would’ve been so much worse if I hadn’t pulled him off, his head would have been pulverised.

“They were fighting so violently that they bent the stainless steel staircase banister, which will cost around £200 to £300 to replace.

“We’re very lucky that nobody was really in the store at the time. I was in total shock, but I had to carry on working for the rest of the day.”

The owner believes that a higher security presence on Southend High Street would act as a deterrent to this violence, and put other business owners such as himself at ease.

He continued: “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, I’ve been spat on and assaulted in the past, and we’ve had a lot of trouble with kids on bikes, but this is the worst it’s ever been.

“I’ve owned my shop here for 16 years, and even I don’t feel safe.

“There isn’t enough protection for my staff or customers in Southend despite there being more crime- if there’s not enough security in the town which is the heartbeat of Southend, where are we safe.”

A spokesman from Essex Police, said: “Our town centre team has increased our visible presence across Southend town centre and the number of response officers across the county - including in Southend - will continue to increase thanks to the council tax uplift.

“Last year’s announcement from the Home Office also provides us with funding for 135 additional officers across the county between now and March 2021, some of whom may be allocated to serve in Southend. We are recruiting new officers and anyoninterested in becoming a police officer, or a Special, can find out more at www.essex.police.uk.”