A shop assistant shot twice in the face during a robbery in Birmingham could lose an eye.

Father-of-two Imran Shah, 21, was serving in the 24-hour Hamza Food Store in Sparkbrook at 2am yesterday when two masked men swooped.

They shot him in the face, knocking him to the floor, before stealing a laptop and mobile phone and fleeing on foot.

His condition in hospital was said to be stable and not life-threatening but his brother revealed he could lose the sight in one eye.

Mohammed Khan, aged 26, who owns the store, in Walford Road, condemned the cowardly robbers who shot his defenceless brother even after he raised his hands as they demanded money.

"This was a really cowardly attack. They attempted to kill my brother," said Mr Khan.

"They told him to put his arms up and he put his arms up but they fired a shot straight at his face anyway."

He said the robbers panicked and fired the pistol when a customer pulled up outside during the raid.

Imran, who has a three year-old daughter and two-year old son, has been left with a pellet behind his right eye, another lodged in his neck, a fractured right cheek bone and cuts to his face.

Mr Khan added: "Our family has had this place for 39 years and we've never had any sign of trouble. My brother never argued with them and I'm really, really shocked this has happened.

"As far as the doctors and nurses are concerned he is very lucky."

Imran was being transferred from Selly Oak Hospital to City Hospital due to his eye injury and doctors are planning to operate to remove the pellet from his neck.

Both raiders were described as tall and wearing dark clothing. Police have appealed for witnesses who may have been in the Walford Road area at the time to contact the robbery team at Belgrave Road, on 0845 1135000.

They are also trying to trace customers who may have been in the store at the time.

A spokeswoman said: "As far as we're aware the shop was empty as no customers have come forward.

"But there may have been some people in there, either before or during the robbery, and we'd like to hear from them in case they saw something."