A business owner was injured when burglars reversed a stolen van into his shop window during a terrifying early-morning ram-raid.

Rasheed Bangash was hiding in the dark inside his mobile phone store in Cliftonville after seeing two suspicious men outside.

Moments later the Ford Transit ploughed into KR Phones in Northdown Road, smashing the glass and crumpling the frame of the shop front.

As Mr Bangash went to move away, the van reversed into the building again, this time knocking the 30-year-old to the ground.

As soon as the would-be burglars realised there was someone inside the shop, they fled empty-handed.

Mr Bangash later went to hospital for treatment to his hand, shoulder and foot.

Reliving the ordeal, he told how - as a practising Muslim - he had been praying in the shop at about 4.30am last Monday (December 10) when he noticed two men in dark clothing outside on his CCTV.

“I was in the shop and could see them, but because it was dark they couldn’t see me,” he said.

“It was quite scary because they were there for two or three minutes looking in, but then they went away, so I was relieved.

“But then the van came reversing at the shop and smashed the window.

“I went to move away and the van hit the shop again and struck me. I hurt my shoulder and hand badly and still can’t move them now.”

Mr Bangash says almost 40 phones, iPads and laptops were damaged in the raid, which has left his shop unsecure and ruined his Christmas trade.

“Like most shops I was relying on this month, but now I have nothing, which makes me sad,” he said.

“I can’t sleep because of the pain in my shoulder and have lost 3kgs in a week.”

Just four hours after the raid the same van is thought to have been used in a burglary at the nearby Day Lewis Pharmacy in Summerfield Road.

On that occasion two men fled with stolen medication after they were disturbed by a member of staff at about 8.30am.

They left the scene in the van, which was being driven by a third man, who was of a medium build and wearing a beige or grey hooded top.

Police are linking the burglaries and the theft of the van, which was reported stolen from the car park of the Hungry Horse in Northdown Park Road, Margate, shortly before 2.30am on Saturday, December 8.

DS Munday said: “We are appealing for anyone who saw the silver Ford Transit in the Thanet area since it was stolen on Saturday to contact us.

“We would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed - or has dashcam footage of - either the phone shop or pharmacy burglaries.”

Call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference number 46/21483/18.

A 46-year-old man from Margate was arrested in Nash Road, Margate, on Monday, December 10, on suspicion of burglary.

He has been bailed until Saturday.