A shopkeeper needed a dozen stitches for knife wounds after he fought off robbers who police say are connected with another attack at the weekend.

Mohammed Zafar

Two youths, one armed with a knife and the other with a metal bar, attacked Mohammed Zafar in his Costcutter store, in Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, on Saturday, December 18.

He said he was considering giving up the business because of constant vandalism.

Mr Zafar, 37, said: "It was 5.40pm and I was in the shop doing my paperwork when two boys came in.

"One had a sharp knife, pointed it at my neck, and asked me to open the till. I refused and they pushed me, so I pushed them, and they tried to put the knife on my stomach. They cut my hands with the knife before they ran away. I was very scared and there was blood everywhere."

The teenagers ran off towards Field Avenue.

The second attack happened at 3pm on Sunday, December 19, when two youths tried to grab a woman's bag in Long Lane, Littlemore. The victim, who was not injured but shaken, hung on to her bag, and the attackers ran off.

Mr Zafar was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, where the wounds in his hands were stitched.

He criticised Oxford City Council for not providing better security around his shop.

He said: "I've been asking the council to provide security cameras, and they had the budget for it last year. They said they could do it, but when the time came, they said they didn't have the money.

"I have had 51 crimes at this shop. Every time something happens I tell the council about it, but no-one is willing to discuss it with me. It's making me consider giving the business up. My family have put pressure on me to hand the key to the shop back to the city council, because of the crimes."

Val Johnson, of Oxford City Council's neighbourhood renewal department, said: "The council has invested over £300,000 in the past three years to improve security at shops. We're very concerned about the robbery and our community property officer will be visiting the store to discuss security."

Police said the robbers were aged about 18. One was white and wearing a black top and white trousers. The other was mixed race and wore dark clothing. They wore balaclavas during the attack on Mr Zafar.

In August last year, Mr Zafar called in the Oxford Mail for anti-social behaviour orders on youths after a robbery at his shops, when a woman employee was punched and a window smashed. Earlier in the year youths blocked the entrance, refusing to let customers in or out.

He installed security cameras worth £1,300, which were ripped down and stolen within hours.

Anyone with information about the weekend robberies should call Oxford police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A robber hit a 17-year-old shop assistant with a wheel brace before snatching a till drawer from the Co-op shop in Kidlington.

He ordered the assistant to open the till, before running out of the Banbury Road shop with the drawer and its contents. The assistant was left bruised.

The thief drove off in a Rover Metro towards the centre of Kidlington, at about 6pm on Saturday.

Police, who are studying CCTV footage from the shop, are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

The robber was about 6ft and of medium build. He wore a pale jacket, dark trousers, a baseball cap and had a scarf over his face.

Call Pc Mike Harris on 08458 505505 with information.