A woman stole a £150 sink from a restaurant bathroom, leaving the owner both baffled and amused by the brazen theft.
Robert Melman, owner of Jardim Rodizio in Altrincham, spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the incident, which occurred Thursday evening. Staff noticed the sink and some pipework were missing.
After reviewing CCTV footage, they discovered a woman had gone straight to the restroom. Mr. Melman believes she put the £150 sink in her bag and left unnoticed.
The footage shows the woman entering with what appears to be an empty handbag. When she left, the bag seemed to contain something. Staff believes it was the missing sink.
The restaurant has separate bathrooms with individual stalls, each containing a toilet and sink. Melman, who also owns Fazenda restaurant, said he could only laugh at the absurdity of situation.
He said this type of theft was very unusual. Each restroom cubicle has a nice, though inexpensive, imitation stone sink. He added that they aren’t very expensive.
Security footage from the hall shows the woman entering the restaurant. She walked in just to use the restroom, carrying a small black bag. About twelve minutes later, she left, with the bag now appearing full. Melman suspects the sink was inside.
The owner believes she made off with the sink around 8:17 PM. He noted that the pipes are easy to unplug. Melman, a seasoned restaurateur, noted that customers often steal things, such as bottles of wine. However, nothing like this happened before.
He couldn’t believe it at first. The whole thing was so unbelievable he could only laugh. While the sink cost him £150, he admitted there’s nothing he can do.