A GRAPPENHALL shopkeeper who says he is being targeted as part of a race hate campaign claims he is on the verge of taking the law into his own hands.

Mohammed Uddin, aged 28, who runs the Grappenhall Indian Gourmet take-away on Knutsford Road says he is being plagued by yobs who have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to his business in the last five weeks.

His shop has been broken into twice, ecstasy tablets have been thrown into his fish tank and bricks hurled at the windows, causing more than £15,000 in damage.

The first time they broke in the shop in February, they took a computer, £1,500 in charity money and £700 in tips, a fryer and a microwave, then trashed the shop.

A week later they came back and took more cash, a digital camera and a mobile phone. Last weekend they came back and started abusing customers and throwing bricks, then returned when the shop closed, pulled up the shutter and threw a brick through the front of the shop.

Mr Uddin, who has already given the names of the offenders to police, says officers need to be there straight away when he has problems at the shop.

He said: "It's the police's duty to do something about it or I'll take care of it myself. The law is a joke.

"People in this country think they are civilised but these lot are like animals. In my country if you steal you lose your hands. These idiots just get a slapped wrist."

And he wants a stronger police presence to get rid of the yobs, who are stopping customers going to his shop and the off-licence next door.

Community Safety Inspector Mark Tunstall said: "These were burglaries where a significant amount of property was taken and we are treating them as a very serious matter.

"We are obviously concerned with any burglary and investigate them to the fullest degree, particularly where repeat crimes have occurred. I have no information to suggest a racial element, but if through the investigation, that is the case, we will treat it as seriously as any other crime.

"The owner of the take-away has been given crime prevention advice and we have also increased patrols in the area."

The police are appealing for witnesses to these attacks. If you can help, call Stockton Heath CID on 652222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.