A murder investigation has been launched after a shopkeeper was stabbed to death in Birmingham.

The 48-year-old victim, named in reports as Suppiah Tharmaseelan, was attacked at Select Convenience Store in College Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, during a suspected robbery.

He was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday night.

A man and a woman, both in their 20s, were arrested at 7am yesterday at an address near the border of Kingstanding and Sutton Coldfield.

They were helping police with their inquiries today.

A businessman has told how the victim’s teenage daughter watched the stabbing on the store’s security camera system as she sat in the family flat above the shop.

Abid Hussain, owner of a store on the same street as the shop, said the victim was originally from India.

Mr Hussain said: “He was a very sensitive man, a family man. He had three children, two sons and a daughter, and a wife. There was always a smile on his face and he really looked after his customers.”

The businessman added: “I spoke to a relative of his wife and he told me the daughter was watching the CCTV upstairs and she saw it all happening. I heard she was the one who called police.” He added: “An officer told me he was stabbed three times and he was dead on the spot.

“I think the people came for money or cigarettes and alcohol.

“Just because of a few packets of cigarettes and maybe a few quid, somebody has taken his life.”

The post-mortem results were expected to be released this afternoon.

Detectives have launched Operation Skyblue to investigate the attack. Acting Superintendent Richard Youds from North Birmingham Police, said: “At this stage, the motive for the attack seems to be robbery. Four men were seen running from the shop just after the incident.”