Moment masked thief steals from 24-hour cake shed before brazenly swearing at CCTV
A greedy thief shamelessly stole from a tiny family-run cake hut and then ‘laughed’ at the security camera with his middle finger.
A child was caught buying himself treats from Mum Made Meals’ 24-hour cake shop in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in the early hours of Monday morning.
Shocking CCTV footage shows him bringing a bag with him, stuffing several bags into it, leaving the shelf almost empty.
The man, wearing a red T-shirt covering his face, made a ‘brazenly’ rude gesture at the camera before walking away with the stolen goods.
Owner Laura McCann, 34, said sweets worth around £200 were stolen in the raid.
The mother-of-two said: ‘I was shocked that this boy thought it was normal to come and raid our business.
‘He knew he was being filmed too because he threw the bird towards the camera as if he were laughing at us. This is sickening.”
The small business is run by Ms McCann and her husband Lee, 36, and regular customers include night shift workers, police officers and paramedics.
A greedy thief shamelessly stole from a tiny family-run cake hut and then ‘laughed’ at the security camera with his middle finger
A child was caught buying himself treats from Mum Made Meals’ 24-hour cake shop in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in the early hours of Monday morning.
The company operates using an honesty box, but the couple say they fall victim to thieves who abuse the payment system almost every week.
Ms McCann said: ‘Some people tell us we should close the shed but that’s our job, it’s not a hobby.
‘We have encountered people using counterfeit money or stealing before. What these people aim for is a family business.
‘We have always operated an honesty policy and keep the shed open 24/7 as there is demand throughout the night.
‘I would say 99 per cent of people are trustworthy and leave the right money, but those who abuse the system are a small minority.
‘We don’t report every theft to the police, but I was really angry when this kid arrogantly walked in with a bag, emptied the fridge and even wagged his finger at the camera.’
The images were viewed thousands of times on Facebook after they were shared by the owner. The boy’s parents then contacted him, offering to cover the cost of the stolen food.
Ms McCann said: ‘The response online has been incredible and we have been contacted by the boy’s parents.
‘To be fair to them, they offered to pay for the food purchased and asked us to file a police report.’
Nearly £200 worth of sweets were stolen in raid, owner says
This comes after the couple had to close their kitchen due to the heatwave last week.
Cousin Terri-Ann Lee Started a GoFundMe page to help the business buy more secure storage space in the hope of eventually purchasing a vending machine costing thousands of pounds.
He wrote: ‘Sadly cake huts have been targeted by thieves many times. Each theft cost them money, damaged their business, and made it harder for them to continue.
‘No small business should have to face this, especially one that gives so much back to society.
‘We don’t want to see the cake closed because of the actions of a few selfish people.
‘We hope to raise enough money to help fund one or more secure vending machines. These will allow Mum Made Meals to continue to serve the community, whilst also greatly reducing the risk of theft and helping to protect livelihoods.’
