A shoplifting seagull has been caught red-beaked after stealing bags of crisps from a convenience store.
The gull, nicknamed Steven, has been a regular visitor of the Central shop in Weymouth, Dorset, with staff even putting up a joke warning sign about their ‘resident shoplifter’.
The bird brazenly saunters in through the open doors and waddles over to the nearest shelf stocking food which he helps himself to.
Staff have moved the Flamin’ Hot Walkers crisps to his favourite position in the hope the spicy surprise will put Steven off.
But judging by a video of the greedy gull’s latest visit to the shop, the move has not worked.
Steven the seagull is seen pinching a packet of crisps from the shelf of a shop
After pinching the packet of crisps, Steven takes it outside and rips it open before devouring the contents
The gull has been a regular visitor of the Central shop in Weymouth, Dorset
After pinching a packet of the hot crisps, the gull took it outside and ripped it open before devouring the contents.
Shop supervisor Sally Toogood said: ‘He has been quite a pest. We thought we would need footage and to put a sign up to make people believe it.
‘He hangs around outside, waits for any opportunity to come in and grab a packet of crisps.
‘He takes it off the shelf, shakes it open and all of his mates come down as well. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the spicy crisps.
‘The door sometimes gets left open, I used to open it whenever I mopped the floor and I would see that he had been in.’
Steven is said to have stolen two boxes worth of crisps in the last few weeks.
Ms Toogood said: ‘At the start we thought it was quite funny but now he has taken so many that it has become a bit of a problem.
‘He took a few bags in one day so our manager decided to put the sign up to try and make people shut the door and bring down the amount he takes.’
