He believes everyone has the right to feel safe at their workplace but following the incident, which has left him with a broken wrist, he doesn’t want to return.

“In a way I’m glad it was me,” he said.

“I’m not going back but I’m worried about everyone else.

“I’m afraid that 20 guys are going to come next time.”

Mr Packham’s ordeal began when he asked the group of five young men who were swearing and spitting at staff to leave the store at about 12pm.

“They said they’d come back when I’ve knocked off,” he said.

Mr Packham said he had received similar threats before but Tuesday’s incident was the first time a group had returned.

“It was premeditated, they knew they were coming back for a reason,” he said.

“They circled me outside Recollections.”

A passing police car arrived at the scene while the fight continued.

“They were calling me all the names under the sun while the cops were there,” he said.

“The police said I can come down to the cop station and have them charged but if it goes to court I’d lose out.

“Basically they’re saying I threw the first punch. I did hit back but they hit me first.”

Mr Packham said security at the store had been an ongoing issue with numerous break-ins and threats to staff members but the situation was getting worse.

“We get abused all the time,” he said.

“By the time the police get there they’re gone.”

Mr Packham said the store increased its security presence to two security guards but later cut it back to one.

“Because of the area that we’re in we need security 24/7,” he said.

“I don’t want to go back to work. I’m stressed out about it all.”

Mr Packham said other staff were terrified of speaking out.

“I don’t blame them,” he said.

“They’re intimidated, people get away with too much.”

A passing police car attended the scene of the incident, a police spokesman confirmed.

“There was an altercation with two persons with others standing around,” he said.

“It’s still being investigated by police.”

The spokesman said the ages of the group ranged from 14 to 17.

“There were no visible injuries to any parties,” he said.