Tributes to Rotherham butcher murdered in machete attack

Parvaiz Iqbal, a popular 40-year-old father-of-three boys, died in his butchers in Eastwood, Rotherham, yesterday.

Police later received reports of a man running through the town centre with a machete and arrested a 27-year-old on suspicion of murder near the Tesco store.

One of Mr Iqbal’s employees, who tried to help at the scene, was also stabbed and suffered a serious stomach wound.

Councillor Mahroof Hussain, who is the cousin of Mr Iqbal’s mother, said the shop was particularly busy yesterday ahead of the Eid celebrations.

He said: “Parvaiz went into the fridge and the guy went after him with a knife.

“Obviously something was happening and other workers came in to prevent it.

“One of them got stabbed in the stomach.

“Another guy working upstairs heard the commotion and the man with the knife went outside and started smashing the place up, then ran off, smashing car windows as he went.

“People came in to the shop to help.

“The man ran off into town with a knife - obviously being a butchers, there’s lots of knives there.

“Why it happened, I don’t know.

“I have spoken to people there and everything seemed OK, there was no shouting or arguing.

“Parvaiz was a normal guy, doing his normal business, preparing for a really busy period.

“I just hope the co-worker recovers and can give a statement to the police.

“The worker who was upstairs is absolutely devastated - he witnessed it and with the people who came in, they stayed with him (Parvaiz) and tried to help.

“They were not successful and we think he died at the scene.

“The family is absolutely devastated. He is married with three kids, one at primary school, one at secondary school and one at college.

“This is supposed to be Eid, a day of celebration.

“Unfortunately, the family has suffered a tragedy and forever more, when this day comes around, they will remember it not for a celebration, but for a tragedy.”

Mr Hussain, a Labour councillor and magistrate, said Mr Iqbal was popular with his customers.

“Everybody loved him,” he said. “Old ladies would come in and he would have a laugh with everyone.

“This has come out of the blue.”

South Yorkshire Police were due to carry out a post mortem examination later.

Residents in Rotherham spoke of their shock as the attacker, still brandishing a weapon, tried to make his escape. One, Richard Cattley, wrote on Twitter: “A man has just ran past me in Rotherham town centre wielding a machete covered in blood shouting move!! Police everywhere!”

He added: “I saw him run past me with knife in hand shouting ‘move’ adjacent to where the buildings are being knocked down opposite the market.”

Twitter user Ben Shepherd wrote: “Lunatic running through Tesco, Rotherham brandishing a huge knife, frightened the life out of our secretary. Taken out by 10 police and Taser.”

Omar Mehban, a local Conservative spokesman who works in banking, said the dead man was a family friend.

“This is such a shock and I feel really deeply for his family. He should be celebrating Eid tomorrow with his wife and kids, instead they are faced with this.

“He was such a wonderful person, always courteous and kind.

“All the times I went in his shop, I can never recall him not smiling. It’s absolutely devastating.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said last night: “The investigation is at an early stage and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“There continues to be a large police presence in the area 
which will remain in place throughout the night and into tomorrow.”

Rotherham East councillor Barry Dodson, whose ward covers the Grosvenor Road, said the murder was “a terrible thing”.

He added: “It is absolutely horrendous no matter what time, day or night, it is.

“I am glad that they arrested the alleged perpetrator but at the end of the day things like this shouldn’t happen.”

A Tesco spokesperson said it was assisting police with their investigation.