Thief dubbed ‘vinegar bottle bandit’ after being caught on CCTV in weird chippy heist
Chippy owners were left with a sour taste in their mouth when they discovered a bottle of vinegar had gone missing, only to check CCTV footage and notice a customer had swiped it from the counter
Man caught on CCTV snatching a bottle of vinegar from a chippy
A chippy has been forced to lock up its condiments after a brazen bandit was caught on CCTV – stealing a bottle of vinegar.
The crook was seen swiping the dining table stable from the counter of J-Henry’s Fish and Chips in Southampton when staff turned their backs to grab his order.
The shop’s security camera footage captured the shocking moment he shoved the bottle in his coat pocket on Tuesday. After pocketing the vinegar, the customer – wearing a black coat and green hoodie – is seen patiently waited for his food.
He is then seen flashing a smile at staff before strolling out with his loot.
Chippy bosses said it was the most bizarre incident to take place in its entire 37 years of operating and they are taking no chances from now on.
A day after sharing CCTV footage of the bizarre heist, the chippy uploaded a photo of their remaining vinegar bottles tightly padlocked on the counter.
They wrote: “TAKING NO CHANCES! With the Hedge End Vinegar Bandit still on the loose we unfortunately cannot take any chances going forward! Just in case he does try and strike again.”
The chippy earlier shared their footage of the theft, which has been viewed more than 200,000 times on Facebook. They said: “You know if you want extra vinegar you are allowed to ask. When the vinegar is so good, You have to just take the whole bottle!”
One social media wag quipped: “Condiments to the chef…” Another chipped in: “Silly sausage!”
Another chippy in the area wrote: “Vinegar bottle bandit strikes again!” Another customer said: “That’s a vinegar stroke!”
Someone else joked: “No thief worth their salt would come back to the scene of the crime.”
A fellow chippy owner said they had suffered a similar ordeal, saying: “We have lost so many bottles over the years, but when Covid hit we kept them our side of the counter and they never went back.”
The chippy has rave reviews on social media, with one satisfied customer gushing: “Delicious Food, lovely service and nothing too much trouble.”
Another said: “Superb Haddock and Chips from a lovely family run business!”
It is not known if the chippy has reported the theft to the police. The thief is suspected to still be at large.
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