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Community 'devastated' by death of shopkeeper

Thomas BerringtonMerseyside
BBC Tony Knight has shirt grey hair and is wearing a grey hooded coat and grey jumper. Joanne Mitchell has dark grey hair and is wearing a purple zipped up fleece and glasses on the top of her head. They are both looking at the camera inside a community centre with purple walls.BBC
Tony Knight and Joanne Mitchell said the community was "heartbroken" by Abdo Ali's death

Customers of a Liverpool shopkeeper who died after a punch bag machine fell on him are planning to put up a memorial plaque outside his shop.

Abdo Ali, 52, was a bystander in an incident in Toxteth on 29 October and died from his injuries on Monday.

The father of five had run Shop and Save Mini Market on St Domingo Road in Everton for more than 20 years, where locals described him as a "genuine man" and said they were "devastated" by his death.

Paying tribute, Tony Knight, from the Clock Community Centre on the same row of shops, said Ali "always had a laugh" with customers and regularly supported activities at the centre.

Merseyside Police A man wearing a black jacket and grey and black striped top smiles at the camera. He has brown eyes and a short black beard. Merseyside Police
Abdo Ali, 52, ran Shop and Save Mini Market in Everton for over 20 years

"He always mucked in when we were having open days round here with sweets and crisps and things like that," he said.

"He was always accommodating. He was genuine."

Joanne Mitchell, who also works at the centre, said the whole community was devastated.

"Children have put up messages on the shop shutters saying, 'Ali, I will miss you'," she said.

"It is heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking."

The community centre has launched a fundraising campaign for a memorial plaque in Ali's honour on behalf of the local community.

A shop front with blue and white illustrations in the window. Bouquets of flowers have been laid on the pavement and tied to the lamppost outside.
Flowers have been left outside Ali's shop on St Domingo Road in Everton

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