THIS is the shocking moment a masked schoolboy stole £200 of treats from a 24-hour cake shed before swearing at a CCTV camera.
The youngster was caught on camera helping himself to sugary snacks from a fridge at Mum Made Meals in Grantham, Lincs., at around 1am on Monday.
CCTV captures a youngster raiding a couples cake shed Credit: SWNS
The schoolboy also appeared to stick their finger up to a camera whilst in the act Credit: SWNS
Footage shows the thief with a red Spain football shirt wrapped around his face as a makeshift balaclava.
He is seen bursting into the honesty-box business and stuffing food into a bag before making a rude gesture at the camera.
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Business owner Laura McCann, 34, said around £200 worth of food was stolen in the raid.
The mum-of-two said: “I’m just shocked that this young boy thought it was okay to come and raid our business.
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“He knew he was being filmed too because he just flipped the bird at the camera like he was laughing at us. It’s sickening.”
Laura runs the family business with husband Lee, 36.
Their cake shed sits beside their commercial kitchen on an industrial estate around two miles from their home and operates 24 hours a day using an honesty box system.
Night-shift workers are regular customers, while police officers and paramedics also stop by for sweet treats during late shifts.
A teenager wearing a football shirt as a balaclava Credit: SWNS
At one point the schoolboy spots the camera and tries to grab it Credit: SWNS
But despite serving the community, the couple say the shed is targeted by thieves almost every week.
Laura said: “Some people say to us we should shut the shed down but it’s our business, it’s not a hobby.
“We’ve been struck before with people using fake money of stealing. It’s a family business these people are targeting.
“We have always operated an honesty box policy and keep the shed open 24/7 because there is demand through the night.
“I would say 99 per cent of people are trustworthy and leave the right money but it’s the small minority who abuse the system.
“We don’t report every theft to police but the brazen way this boy came in with a bag and emptied the fridge and even flicked a finger at the camera made me really angry.”
After Laura shared the footage on Facebook, it was viewed and shared thousands of times.
She was later contacted by the boy’s parents, who agreed to cover the cost of the stolen food.
Laura said: “The response online has been incredible and we were contacted by the boy’s parents.
“To be fair to them they have offered to pay for the food taken and wants us to proceed with pressing charges with the police.”
The theft came at what Laura described as the “worst possible time”, after the couple were forced to close their kitchen last week because of the heat.
She said staff had worked extra hard to make the stolen cakes.
Meanwhile, cousin Terri-Ann Lee has launched a GoFundMe page to help the business buy more secure storage, with hopes of eventually purchasing a vending machine costing thousands of pounds.
More than £120 has already been raised.
Laura added: “The support from Grantham is 100 per cent what keeps us going.
“We say all the time that we don’t know what we’ve done so right to deserve everybody’s back – the support is overwhelming.”
Lincolnshire Police confirmed enquiries are ongoing.
