Supermarket owner put in hospital by shoplifter

A Hamilton supermarket owner spent three days in hospital after confronting an alleged shoplifter.

Staff and customers saw the attack which took place two weeks ago when Pak'n Save Clarence Street store owner Tony Rider was speaking to a man who had been caught on camera a week earlier stealing a pack of cigarettes.

Mr Rideand and a security guard asked the man to pay for the cigarettes or they would call the police and he agreed, the Waikato Times reported.

As he turned to walk away Mr Rider was tapped on the shoulder and knocked to the ground by a "kick boxing move".

He hit his head on a shopping trolley and was concussed for seven hours. He spent three days in hospital and returned to work this week.

Police arrested the man.

The shop has a new security system which is catching three or four shoplifters each day.

- NZPA