Search ongoing for youths who severely attacked dairy owner

UPDATED FIRST @ 5.40PM: A Spotswood dairy owner is in Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious condition after he was attacked by two members of New Plymouth youth, in a pack of four this afternoon.

Four members of youth, two boys and two girls aged about 16 entered the Ngamotu Dairy shop at around 1pm asking for cigarettes.

However the youths were unable to provide ID stating they were over 18 years old of age so the two male teenagers grabbed the owner while assulting him, dragged him outside before he was mauled by hits and kicks.

The two girls were understood to have said lets go, just before leaving threw a nearby park. 

One passerby said he was able to take a photo of the group on his cellphone.

One witness from the scene told infonews.co.nz she called police who arrived five to ten miniutes after the call took place. 

The owner was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital for treatment for facial injuries.

The shop has since been closed. 

SEARCH ONGOING FOR YOUTH

The two boys, and two girls have still yet to be found by New Plymouth however police are investigating what occured we have been told from witnesses who were at the scene. 

DAUGHTER SAW IT ALL, WITNESS REACTIONS  AND DESCRIPTION OF YOUTH

EXCLUSIVE: infonews.co.nz has been told that the daughter saw it all from the youth coming into the store to the attack taking place. 

infonews.co.nz has been in contact with witnesses from the scene, one of which told us she was walking past the shop when a girl said hello to her.

"The guy wanted smokes and he was under age" the girl told the witness. 

"I rung the cops and the youths run off, the daughter was there she's very shaken and the father was rushed to hospital very injured" the witness told infonews.co.nz

"The police took around five to ten miniutes to arrive." 

When our reporters asked the witness what the youths looked like she said "One of the females had blonde hair, was abit chubby, she was wearing a skirt and a white top, the other one is skinny I think and she had a black top."

She added "One of the guys top was left behind at the shop and police have got them but black and blue skinny jeans. He was wearing a snap back hat aswell. "

"They were all tallish"