A 73-YEAR-OLD newsagent seriously injured in an attack in his shop today told how he just wanted to "retire and get out".

Kenneth Bond was behind the counter in his shop, K & L Bond newsagents, at the junction of Railway Street and Chapel House Road, Nelson, at around 4.30pm on Saturday when he was punched in the face by an Asian youth. He was left with a serious eye injury and a broken cheekbone.

He believes two youths who came into the shop together are the same teenagers who have stolen cigarettes from his shop on a couple of occasions, but this time he had put the cigarettes out of reach.

He has owned the newsagents for 32 years and ran it with his wife until she died last year. The shop has been up for sale for three years and Mr Bond said after the attack: "I just want to retire and get out of it now."

He said: "I think they were the same lads who have come in a couple of times pinching cigarettes but this time I had moved them and pulled a stationery stand in front so that they couldn't dive round the counter for them before I had got through in to the shop.

"I was sitting in the back when I saw them at the door so I was already at the counter before they got there and I think that annoyed them a bit too. The first one asked if I did photocopying and I said no so he asked where did do it. His mate, who was standing holding the door open, asked me the same question and that distracted me and that's when the first one punched me. "It was a quiet time and no-one else came in the shop for about three minutes until one of my regular customers came in and I was standing there with my face streaming with blood. The customer stood in the shop for me while I went to clean my face and then the paramedics took me to Burnley General."

The pair, who were described as around 17 years old, ran off empty-handed. The youth who hit Mr Bond was said to be 6ft and slim, with short straight black hair and his accomplice was described as stockier, 5ft 6ins, with short black hair.

Det Sgt Steve Earnshaw said the attack could be linked to the previous theft of cigarettes and could have been, to some degree, caused by anger and frustration when they came back for more and discovered the cigarettes had been moved.

He added: "This was a particularly nasty, unprovoked attack on an elderly shopkeeper who was providing a service to the local community and we are anxious to catch those involved."

Mr Bond said: "Hopefully, if people hear about this they may be sympathetic and come forward with information. I have had cigarettes stolen before but I've never had any real trouble like this. It's getting out of hand now."

Anyone who could identify the pair should contact Nelson CID on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.