A brazen seagull has been caught on CCTV shoplifting from Heron Foods, and reportedly nabbed eighteen packets of crisps before moving onto flapjacks.
The greedy gull was filmed wandering into the shop in Filey, North Yorkshire, nabbing a huge pack of Ready Salted crisps and scampering out, whilst being chased by a staff member.
The seagull has now been nicknamed Stephen and returned to the shop to help himself to a salty snack.
In total, he chomped on 18 packets of crisps in just one day.
The funny footage shows him heading straight for the display of crisps, as he attempts to pick out a multipack of crisps from the shop display.
After one unsuccessful attempt, Stephen the seagull tries to steal a huge bag of Ready Salted crisps and dash to the door, whilst a member of staff called Marie finds him and starts to chase.
Maria then beckons over fellow staff member Denise and the two look on as Stephen sits in the car park and tucks into his third salty snack of the day.
Staff claim Stephen had already been in the shop twice that day and has been in three days in a row - coming in "whenever he's peckish", according to manager, Julie Scorer.
Julie told Kennedy News: "He'd been in twice already that day and done exactly the same, so he had three multipacks of crisps that day.
"When I do my stock take and see it's down, I know it'll be because of Stephen the seagull.
"He's been in every day since, and cost us about £10 in stock so far.
"The following day we moved the stack of crisps to somewhere else in the shop, and he came in looking around, thinking, 'Where've they gone?'.
"So he went over to the Warburton's stand and walked out with a pack of bread buns.
"When we moved the crisps he went for the bread, and then when we moved the bread he went to the flapjacks and took one of them.
"He just has a look around and goes for the next thing. He's going down the aisles now.
"He got the flapjack today but he's not been in since, so he must be stuffed with that."
Julie, 53, said the feathered kleptomaniac has become a part of daily life for staff at the shop.
Julie said: "He sits on my car every day or in the baskets at the front of the store.
"Now that we've got the warm weather we keep the doors open, so he just walks in and helps himself.
"He just comes in now when he's a bit peckish - he just walks in and gets what he wants, the little sod.
"It's a part time job just keeping an eye out for him.
"Seagulls are a part of daily life here in Filey, and they can be a bit of a nuisance, but it's hilarious just how brazen he is.
"We have to keep a look out for him, and I think we may have to get a water pistol."
Stephen's appetite for crisps and baked goods is starting to show, said Julie, and staff can now only hope that word hasn't spread among Filey's avian community about the easy pickings at Heron Foods.
Julie said: "He's getting a big belly at the moment so he'll probably be taking some for his friends soon and feeding all his mates.
"We've had none of his friends in yet but that may be what's coming - he'll be bringing the whole family in next."
