THREE teenagers and a 20-year-old man have been charged with murdering Huddersfield shopkeeper Gurmail Singh during a robbery at his store.

A 20-year-old man and three 17-year-old boys were due to appear in court as Asian Trader went to press, accused of attacking the popular c-store owner with a weapon.

Mr Singh, 63, sustained serious head injuries in the attack at his Cowcliffe Convenience Store on Cowcliffe Hill Road in Huddersfield on Saturday, February 20. He was rushed to hospital but died the next morning.

Police said he was struck up to nine times, with a hammer-like instrument.

Mr Singh, who had lived in the UK since 1963, was a regular customer at his local Batleys cash & carry. One of his sons was a general manager of the Leeds and Sheffield branches until he returned to help run the family business with his father some nine months ago.

Mr Singh also leaves a wife, another adult son and a daughter. He had celebrated his 63rd birthday the day before he was killed.

Tributes to the popular trader have poured in. Martin Race, operations director of Batleys, part of the Bestway Group, told Asian Trader: "The murder of Gurmail Singh is something that is as appalling as it is tragic.

"He was a very valued customer of Batleys for a very long time and a wonderful man. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family."

Mr Race added: "Both Bestway and Batleys have worked very hard over the years to support all the independent retail trade in the fight against crime in all its forms and we totally abhor these crimes.

"We strongly urge government, the police and the community to do much more to help protect the essential members of the independent trade who bravely battle on against such incidents.

Mehboob Khan, a local councillor and leader of Kirklees council, said: "I knew Gurmail for 19 years and he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He was down-to-earth, always cheerful, a really intelligent, friendly person. He was no spring chicken but he worked extremely hard."