Women's shoes (symbolic image)

Photo: Tobias Hase/ picture alliance / dpa

A 23-year-old shoe salesman was beaten and kicked by a customer and her alleged relatives in Bielefeld - after he refused to exchange goods. As the police said on Wednesday, a 47-year-old wanted to return shoes that her daughter had bought in the store.

When the seller refused to do so on Tuesday, the woman slapped him. Subsequently, there was a scuffle between two salespeople, the customer and her daughter.

A few hours later, according to the statement, two unknown men, one of them masked, entered the store and kicked and punched the salesman. They are said to have said that they had done this for their sister and cousin and then fled. Police are asking witnesses for clues.

wit/dpa