Aggravated robbery: Brutal machete attack on brave Hamilton shopkeepers

Shopkeepers bravely fought back against a group of masked thugs armed with a machete and a hockey stick who raided a Hamilton bottle shop.

The late-night heist was captured on CCTV and shows the dreadful moment a sole shopkeeper found himself chased around his store by a man brandishing a huge machete.

And if that wasn't dreadful enough, footage shows the robbery taking a sickening twist when another shopkeeper tries to take on a robber only to be repeatedly stabbed with what looks like a screwdriver.

The 80-second-long raid, which happened on Tuesday night at the Thirsty Liquor Hillcrest in Hamilton, is captured unfolding on an instore security camera.

A hero shopkeeper tries to foil a vivious armed robbery with a stool. Photo / Facebook

Footage shows the unsuspecting shopkeeper walking out from the chiller into the path of three men, one wielding a machete high above his head. Another starts pummelling him with punches before the injured shopkeeper makes a run for the door.

Despite shelves brimming with alcohol the robbers target the store's cigarette supplies, with a heavily disguised person stacking boxes on the counter ready to be taken into the getaway car.

With the under-siege shopkeeper fleeing outside, the attack continues on the footpath and the defenceless man is repeatedly kicked and punched and a chair is forcefully thrown at him.

But then a hero shopkeeper from a neighbouring unit appears and using an upturned stool attempts to take on one of the trio.

It turns ugly when he ends up on the ground being repeatedly stabbed by a long tool that looks like a screwdriver and is whacked by a hockey stick.

Another woman armed with a thermos races outside but at this stage the trio head back to the waiting car before driving off.

In a post on Facebook, the liquor shop owner apologises for closing early calling it "an unfortunate event".

"Here is a little video of what we went through and hope no one else has to undergo this sort of incident," the post read.

In a comment under the robbery, the shop owner said the car was understood to be stolen and recovered by police.

Police and the store owner have been approached for comment.