The owners of a Banchory hotel say they have captured on camera the moment a brazen thief tried to steal from them.
CCTV images provided to the Press and Journal by The Burnett Arms appear to show a man attempting to force open the till behind the bar.
He is wearing jeans and a hoodie and approaches the bar carrying a backpack.
Seconds later, he can be seen crouching by the till, with the hotel reporting that he was attempting to pry it open.
In the images the man is also wearing what look like black and white mittens.
The incident is said to have taken place on Saturday, moments before the bar opened for business.
As the man in the hotel’s pictures crouches by the till, a member of staff enters the bar area and challenges him, before attempting to stop the individual from leaving.
In the video, the man can be seen pushing past the staff member. He almost falls to the floor as he leaves the bar.
Staff at the Burnett Arms told the Press and Journal they would be reporting the matter to police.
‘We’re not taking it lightly’
In a statement on social media they wrote: “This morning, before we were open, some thieving b*****d tried to break into the Burnett Arms.
“Thankfully, our staff caught him in the act.
“We’re asking all nearby businesses to stay sharp.
“Don’t leave money in your tills overnight and keep a close eye on your premises.”
They added: “Sadly, theft is becoming more common.
“It is making an already tough business climate even harder.”
“This is the first time someone from outside has tried something like this at our place — and we’re not taking it lightly.
“We’ll be reporting everything to the police.
“Stay safe and look out for each other.”