UPDATED: A 39-year-old man from Swindon has been arrested on suspicion of theft this afternoon, September 30, after £200 was stolen from a cafe in Lechlade.

CCTV footage of the theft from Vera's Kitchen and B&B in Lechlade was released today.

In the video, a man can be seen looking through the window as he decides whether or not to commit the theft.

The audacious thief is not put off by the presence of customers enjoying a coffee as he is then seen entering the café, going behind the counter and plundering the till of £200.

The theft, which happened on Thursday, September 29, was the second time the café has been targeted in a month.

Emily Matson, who owns Vera’s, said: “It wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“We never leave the till area unmanned very long and you can see in the video it was all over in less than 40 seconds.

“We noticed less than 10 minutes later and immediately called the police who think they have a lead.

“It left us completely shaken up and due to the nature of the business we are in we invite people in and trust them.

“But now we are second guessing and take and extra-long look, are you here to have a coffee or here to rob us?”

A still from the video clearly shows the man who committed the theft and police are asking people to get in touch with information.

On their facebook page, the café thanked residents and regulars for their response and support and asked people to share the video to help catch the criminal: “Wow, what a response! Thank you so much to everyone who has seen the footage & shared it.”

A statement from Gloucestershire Police said: “We are investigating this theft.

“An unknown offender entered the café on Burford Street between 1.30pm and 1.40pm yesterday (Thursday 29 September) and opened the till using keys left in the drawer.

“They removed £200 in cash and left.

“Inquiries are ongoing but anyone with information about the incident or offender should call 101 and quote incident 258 of September 29.

"Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”