The grieving widow of a curry chef has told how she and their children face destitution after he was killed at the takeaway where he worked to support them.

Shahzad Shah, 56, died last Monday after he was attacked at the Mirchi Indian Cuisine restaurant in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire.

A 52-year-old colleague, Haydait Ozden, has been charged with murder and assault.

Mr Shah had been working at the restaurant for two years in order to support his wife Syeda Naila and twin ten-year-old children, Ali and Shehr, both 10, back in Pakistan.

Hard-working Mr Shah had been hoping to bring his wife, son and daughter to Scotland and was due to begin the process of obtaining visas for his family.

He married Syeda Naila, 42, twenty years ago.

Without her husband's support, she and the children now face being destitute.

Speaking from her home in Sheikhupura, 40km north-west of Lahore, Syeda Naila said: "My husband was a very nice and kind man. He tried to help his family and everyone else that he knew.

"He worked for everything that we had and we just do not know how we will cope without him.

"I am really sad and I just can't believe what has happened. I am absolutely heartbroken.

"My children are always crying and they keep asking me if their father will come home.

"We have asked for help from the British embassy but they haven't been able to give us much information.

"This has been a great loss for our family. I just want to bring his body back home."

Syeda Naila added: "After this tragic incident, my children and I don't know what to do or how to spend the rest of our lives.

"Being a lady, I am facing acute hardships at this phase where nothing is in my control.

"I have no knowledge about further proceedings in the murder case of my deceased husband.

"My innocent children are waiting for the arrival of their father in Pakistan as he had promised to come home in the first week of May."

Read more: Man charged after death at Indian takeaway

Shahid Ali, 45, who owns the takeaway restaurant, confirmed he has set up a fund for the family of Mr Shah, whom he simply knew as Shah.

The fund has raised £400 in the time since it was created on Friday.

He said: "Shah sent money back to his family and so I just thought that it would be nice to do something to help them.

"My father actually visited his family to pay our respects. He is in Pakistan at the moment and wanted to make sure he visited them."

Shahid added: "Shah was due to go on holiday next month to see his family. He always talked about how much his children looked like him and how proud he was of them.

"My own daughter looks similar to his and we would often talk about that. He was just a really nice family man."