Novocherkassk, Russia - September 11, 2024

[WARNING: violent content]

This is the hair-raising moment an assistant in a pick 'n' mix sweet shop is beaten to the ground when a customer attacks him for his flowing locks.

CCTV security footage from a shopping centre in Novocherkassk, southern Russia, shows the victim, named only as Vladimir in local media on 13th September, on duty.

But as a burly male customer comes behind the counter he challenges the salesman over his shoulder-length hair.

He begins slapping and shoving his much smaller victim who tries to fight back but is knocked to the ground by a flurry of powerful punches.

As he tries to get up clutching his head, a security guard finally appears but apparently does nothing to detain the attacker as the clip ends.

And, reports local media, it was only when Vladimir's mother arrived at the shopping centre an hour later that he was rushed to hospital and is now being treated for a traumatic brain injury.

Police have since seized the attacker, who has been named as 31-year-old Ivan Marynchenko.

Now Vladimir's family say they will sue the shopping centre for not protecting him.

His mother told local media: "They did absolutely nothing. It was total inaction."

Shopping centre bosses claim their security guard did everything he could within the law.