A newsagent was left with a bloodied and broken nose after being punched repeatedly by a young man he claims stole vapes from his shop.

Umesh Patel, from M&P News in Shepway, Maidstone, chased after the suspected thief before being attacked in a nearby road.

Mr Patel, who has owned the newsagents since 2011, says he was punched in the face and head five times after catching up with the youngster in Cambridge Crescent.

The 49-year-old claims he had hold of the suspected teenager and a girl he was with and threatened to ring police before he was clobbered in the nose, forehead and back of his head.

The suspect then unzipped a jacket he was wearing, slipped out of it, and ran away.

Mr Patel told KentOnline it is the third time in one month the young man has stolen vapes from his shop and he will only do it when his wife Nisha is alone at the counter.

Mrs Patel rang her husband at about 11.30am on Thursday, February 9 to tell him about the alleged theft before he ran back and spotted the suspect.

The shop owner is unhappy with how long it has taken police to deal with the incident.

He said: "I had his girlfriend by the jacket at first and he just ran off, but when I threatened to call the police he came back and I had him by the jacket as well.

"I had one on each arm and when his girlfriend said they would give the vapes back I looked at her and that's when he punched me.

"There was blood everywhere and he unzipped his jacket and ran off. His phone was still inside so I had evidence and they came and took that but I haven't heard anything since."

The altercation, which started on the pathway, spilled over into a neighbouring garden, causing damage to a fence and car.

The home owner, who didn't want to be named, said: "There was blood all over my drive, up my cars and on my window.

"I had to clean it up, pay for a new wing mirror two of my fences are still broken so I went round to the shop and asked for £100 to fix it.

"It came right up from the street to my front door."

Mr Patel, who had £50,000 stolen from his home above the shop back in 2018, says he's dealing with thieving children on a daily basis.

"It's really frustrating and we've had no help from the police. When I was robbed years ago it took months to get sorted.

"They've not been helpful at all and I don't have much hope.

"So many of the younger kids are causing problems now, people are stealing all the time.

"Children as young as 10 are coming and trying to get me to sell them vapes and get angry when I say no."

Mr Patel, who was planning to go into town on the day he was attacked to get a picture for his passport, is recovering from the incident with a swollen nose and cuts on his head.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police was called to a disturbance in Northumberland Court, Maidstone, where a shopkeeper was assaulted.

"It is alleged the victim was punched after challenging two people who stole vape products.

"An investigation is ongoing and officers have recovered both CCTV from the store as well as doorbell camera footage from the local area. No arrests have yet been made."