A Scots shopkeeper has told how he was 'in tears' after a heartless thug snatched a seven-year-old girl's birthday cake in the middle of the night.
The NIsa Local in Mintlaw is a mainstay of the Aberdeenshire town and often orders in speciality items from local bakers Murdoch Allan for customers.
One mum had ordered a sparkly cake to make her wee girl's big day extra special with the bakers placing it overnight in the box to store newspapers outside the shop.
But staff were stunned to find it had vanished with a masked man caught on CCTV raiding the box around 3.30am and making off with the birthday treat.
Angry shop boss Shahid Ali said the delivery box had never been disturbed in 30 years and never had seen anything like it.
He said: "One of the staff phoned me up and told me there was an item missing from the bakery order which was the cake for the seven-year-old.
"So I went on CCTV and there was a young lad seen going through the box and walking away. He had his hood right up and wearing a mask so he knew what he was doing.
"I was in tears for the family thinking how devastated I would be if someone had done that to me or my family.
"I just don't know why someone would ever do that.
"If it had been some rolls or a buttery or something I would understand but he must have realised when he opened the box that it was a birthday cake for a little girl.
"In the last 15 minutes of trading we often give away our bakery goods for free, if he was hungry we would have helped him.
"I just don't know what the world is coming to."
Kind-hearted staff were determined to make the girl's birthday a happy one and drove more than 30 miles to pick up a replacement.
Shahid added: "We drove out to Costco and picked up a big chocolate cake and delivered it personally.
"She seemed to be none the wiser. "
The images have been shared on social media in a bid to unmask the raider.
A post online reads: "A challenging one for you to help with
"We would like to speak to this person as he left a wee girl very sad and heartbroken as she did not get her birthday cake that she ordered and was delivered to our Mintlaw shop.
"This was at about 3.30am and he was on a bike we think."
Shahid added: "I was in two minds about putting it up but even if it makes someone think twice then it is worth it."
