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4 months ago
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An intruder was caught helping himself to a bottle of prosecco and enjoying a slice of cake after he broke into a country pub in Essex.
CCTV footage captured the moment a man walks up to the bar at The Inn at Belfairs, in Leigh-on-Sea, before removing the till in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Pub owner Greg Weller claims the man also helped himself to 'couscous, a prawn and beetroot sauce' and took them to the terrace to eat.
He told the BBC: 'As owners, it's disheartening when you've worked so hard to have someone come along and think this is OK..'
Essex Police are investigating the incident and have appealed for witnesses to contact them directly.
CCTV footage shows an intruder opening a bottle of Prosecco after breaking into The Inn at Belfairs (pictured)
The man can be seen ripping out the till from the bar before grabbing a bottle of Prosecco
It comes after restaurants across the country have been falling victim to a 'dine and dash' craze recently.
At the beginning of the month, a group of six people stuffed their faces with £240 of food and booze at The Farm pub and restaurant in Eastbourne before legging it without paying the bill.
Meanwhile, two families dining out at Ciao Eatalia in Highworth, Wiltshire, ran up a bill of £280 on April 20, before fleeing without paying a remaining £180.
Manager Gianluca La Porta and head chef Fabio Giacalone said it was the fifth time recently they have been subjected to what is known as 'bilking'.
The Inn at Belfairs shared the CCTV footage on social media and wrote: 'SHARE SHARE SHARE. Lets pull together and get social media finding this man
'This pathetic excuse of a human broke into our restaurant last night at 2.13am and was backwards and forwards taking bits out the restaurant.
'Thank you all for your continued support'.
Customers were quick to offer their comments of support to the pub.
Pub owner Greg Weller claims the man also helped himself to 'couscous, a prawn and beetroot sauce' and took them to the terrace to eat
Essex Police are investigating the incident and have appealed for witnesses to contact them directly
One person said: 'This is heartbreaking! You've built such an amazing place, a huge favourite amongst my life long girl best friends and I!
'Love your food, decor, service, friendly staff, events absolutely everything about the place. To see someone do this to any business but let alone a small, local business is heartbreaking and infuriating! I'm so sorry!'
A spokesperson for Essex Police told MailOnline: 'We received a report of a burglary at a business premises in Eastwood Road North, Leigh, on Saturday 25 May.
'It was reported entry had been gained to the address between 11pm on Friday 24 May and Saturday morning.
'A messy search had been carried out inside before the suspect left the scene.
'If you have any information please contact us.
'You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 10am-9pm.
'Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our website reporting services.
'Alternatively you can call us on 101. In an emergency always call 999.'
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