Caught red-beaked! Moment shoplifting seagull pinches packet of crisps from convenience store

A seagull was caught stealing bags of chips from a supermarket. It had a red beak.

The seagull, nicknamed Steven, is a regular visitor to the Central store in Weymouth, Dorset, and staff have even put up a funny warning sign about their ‘resident shoplifter’.

The bird saunters brazenly through the open doors and waddles over to the nearest shelf of food, where he helps himself.

The staff has moved the Flamin’ Hot Walkers chips to his favorite spot in hopes that Steven will be put off by the spicy surprise.

But judging by a video of the greedy seagull’s last visit to the store, the move didn’t work. The bird previously took bags of Bobby’s BBQ snack mix.

After stealing the bag of chips, Steven takes it outside and tears it open before eating the contents

The seagull is a regular visitor to the Central store in Weymouth, Dorset

After the seagull stole a packet of warm chips, he took it outside and tore it open before eating the contents.

Store supervisor Sally Toogood said: ‘He’s a bit of a nuisance. We thought we’d need footage and a sign to make people believe it.

‘He hangs around outside, waiting for a chance to come in and grab a bag of chips.

‘He takes it off the shelf, shakes it open and all his mates come out too. He didn’t seem bothered by the spicy chips.

“Sometimes the door is left open. I used to open it when I was mopping the floor and I would see that he had been in.”

Steven is said to have stolen two boxes of chips in recent weeks.

Mrs Toogood said: ‘At first we thought it was quite funny but now he’s taken so many it’s become a bit of a problem.

“He took a few bags in one day, so our manager decided to put up a sign forcing people to close the door and reduce the amount he took.”