Night hatch shields liquor store owner

When Vinesh Garg's liquor store window was smashed once again by underage drinkers, it was the last straw.

At 8pm the 50-year-old closes the doors to his Discount Liquor shop on Great South Rd in Manurewa, and serves punters through a small hatch in the window.

It is similar to those used by petrol station attendants when serving customers at night and reduces the risk of - often alcohol-induced - robberies by shielding them.

Mr Garg, who has owned the store for five years, installed the hatch about six months ago after some youths, annoyed he would not serve them liquor, smashed a window.

Police caught the offenders about 1km down the road.

Mr Garg was the victim of a robbery on Father's Day in 2007.

Two men - who police later caught - entered the store about 5pm as he was preparing to close up.

"They pointed a gun at me and told me to sit in the corner. They opened the till, took all the cash and bottles of whisky and cartons of cigarettes."

The shop has also been burgled numerous times, he said, and 70 to 80 per cent of his customers approved of the window hatch.