Three schoolboys, described as 'gangsters' and wearing makeshift balaclavas made from t-shirts, were caught on video stealing from an honesty box cake shed in Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the youths entered The Capel Cake Shed and took 11 items valued at £27.50. The owner, Emma Burton, reviewed her Ring Doorbell footage and shared it on Facebook in an effort to identify the perpetrators.
Burton, who operates the shed as a hobby that has grown to require several hours of baking daily, stated that the dishonesty box system relies entirely on trust. She reported the theft to Kent Police. According to Burton, two of the boys later returned to the shed and placed £10 each into the honesty box, covering the cost of the stolen items.
Burton also claimed that later that evening, she and her husband encountered the teenagers in a park. When her husband confronted them, citing the CCTV footage, the boys allegedly responded with expletives and threats to repeat the theft. This was not the first time the shed had been targeted, though Burton noted that the vast majority of customers are honest and appreciative of the service.
Kent Police confirmed they received a report of cakes being stolen from premises in Capel le Ferne on Sunday afternoon. They are urging anyone with information to contact them, quoting reference 16-1534.