Robbers attacked a shop assistant with an iron bar and left him with head and facial injuries before grabbing cigarettes in a raid on a store in Tividale.

A gang of three struck at the Co-op in Dudley Road West at 8.15 last night. The cashier who was assaulted is not believed to have tried to tackle the raiders.

West Midlands Police spokesman Catherine Hickman said: “The offenders hit a 26-year-old male assistant with a metal bar before going behind the counter and grabbing items on display.

“The man was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries.

“The extent of what has been taken is unclear at this stage.”

The robbers escaped in a silver car in the direction of Oldbury.

Mark Steventon, 57, a security guard of nearby Twydale Avenue, said: “Police were everywhere and the shop was cordoned off.”

A Dudley Road West resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I heard a screech of tyres yesterday evening and the next thing I knew the police were knocking at the door. It is really shocking — the shop hasn’t been open long.

“The cordon was up until about 11pm. When my husband went across the road to see if he could help, the police were dusting for fingerprints behind the till.”