This shocking video shows the moment a terrified shop owner is attacked with a hammer as he tries to defend himself against a violent robbery.

CCTV footage shows two men, one armed with a hammer, entering the Fone City store owned by Muhammad Fahad, 40.

The first man runs behind the counter where Muhammad stands and grabs him.

Muhammad, married and father to three young girls, can be seen struggling, trying to fight the attacker off.

He briefly gets the attacker in an embrace from behind when he is beaten repeatedly in the hand with a hammer, releasing him and the phone in his hand.

The second man enters the shop carrying a duffle bag and starts collecting 10 phones from the front display shelf.

The footage was captured at the store in St Albans, Herts, at midday on March 19.

Muhammad, who bought the business in January, said he "thought of his daughters" the moment he stopped fighting."

He added: "When I talk about it I want to cry- I feel very emotional about it all."

"Those people don't understand how difficult it is to run an independent business. "

"I took a loan out to establish it and work for a better future for my daughters. "

"I invest everything into the business and don't take a penny for myself."

"When the attacker said to me 'don't push us, we will kill you' or something like that, my three daughters came to mind and I gave in."

"Coming to work every day is not easy."

Muhammad, whose daughters are nine, seven and two years old, received minor injuries to his hand including bruising but no bones were broken.

His other staff member who helps him run the shop is now nervous to return to work, meaning Muhammad is now working seven days a week to run his business.

Despite Muhammad owning another shop in Wembley, north London, he said nothing like this has ever happened to him before.

He added: "I moved to St Alban's because I thought it was a safe place."

I now get scared whenever people come into the shop.

"I'm struggling but I will continue and fight for justice."

His two eldest daughters wrote him get-well cards and each gave him £5 from their money boxes in a bid to help with his financial losses.

In one card, Ayeza wrote: "To Papa, I hope you are feeling ok and I just want to make sure that you know I love you and I will always love you. "

"I hope you are feeling ok in the hospital and I hope your hand is feeling ok."

Hertfordshire Police are now appealing for information to help identify the pair, described as black men in their early twenties.

They wore black clothing and covered their faces using balaclava-like masks.

Detective Sergeant Mark Chipchase, from the St Albans Local Crime Unit, said: "We are carrying out enquiries into the incident which was a frightening ordeal for the shop staff. "

"It took place in the middle of the day and so we are asking for any witnesses or anyone with information about it to get in touch."