Four Teenagers Arrested After Retail Worker Critically Injured in Melbourne Shop Assault

Four teenagers have been arrested over an assault in a shop in Melbourne's west that left a retail worker in a critical condition.

Investigators say two boys, aged 13 and 15, and two girls, aged 14 and 15, entered a shop on Hampshire Road in Sunshine just after 2pm on Saturday and stole items.

When two staff members attempted to confront the four teenagers, a physical altercation broke out.

One of the staff members, a 60-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the incident.

The man was transported to hospital in a critical condition.

All four teenagers have since been arrested by police, and are expected to be interviewed by detectives.

The serious assault comes just days after new Victorian Premier Ben Carroll pledged to increase safeguards for retail workers in the state.

"We are putting workers front and centre," Mr Carroll said on Wednesday.

"And that begins with protecting them."

The government introduced laws last year that increased the penalty for assaulting or threatening workers in hospitality and retail to a maximum of five years.

Mr Carroll this week announced the introduction of workplace protection orders enabling businesses to ban aggressive customers from their premises.