Shelves loaded with stock were sent flying as a man was attacked with a stick during 'mayhem' in a busy city shop.

Horrified staff and customers looked on as two men chased the victim into Reds convenience store on St Benedict's Street.

They hit him on the head with the stick, causing a deep gash that left 'blood everywhere', according to the shop's owner.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was walking down St Benedict's Street at about 6pm on Tuesday when two men in a silver car pulled up alongside him.

They got out of the car and shouted at the man before chasing him into Reds and launching the chaotic attack.

The store's owner, a woman in her 50s who did not want to be named, said two female members of staff were left shaken following the incident, which also happened in front of about three customers.

She said: 'They caught up with him outside the shop. It spilled into here. It was pretty violent, it was not nice. They clocked him on the head with a stick. There was just blood everywhere.'

She added: 'It was just mayhem - there was so much damage to shelves and stock but I was more concerned about my staff.

'They were worrying about the stock and I was worried about my staff.

'It mustn't have been very nice for them to have to watch that. They were very shaken up.'

The shop owner, who said no knives were seen during the attack, said staff went to help the man and called the ambulance.

After the attack the store closed for a few hours to allow forensics teams to carry out their inquiries.

The shop owner said the victim, who was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for treatment, came back into the store later to thank staff for helping him.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack.

They have described the suspects, who ran off afterwards, as both being black, with one wearing a brown jacket and blue tracksuit trousers and the other wearing a white T-shirt and a black hooded jacket.

? Anyone with information about the incident should contact Norfolk Constabulary on 101.

? Were you a customer at Reds at the time? Email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk