Pub landlord "sickened" as staff tips stolen amid virus lockdown

A pub landlord said he was “sickened” after a thief broken into his premises amid the coronovirus lockdown and stole his staff’s tips.

The Ship Inn, Stonehaven, was broken into at the weekend with several businesses in the town vandalised. PIC: Contributed.

Simon Cruickshank, owner of the Ship Inn in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, described those responsible for the theft as the “lowest of the low” given the struggles that people are facing during the outbreak.

Around £1,300 split into 30 envelopes was taken over the weekend from the popular harbourside pub, restaurant and hotel.

The break-in was noticed by his manager, who was walking past the pub whe she saw the glass in the side door was broken. Upstairs in the office, drawers were pulled out, paper thrown over the floor and the solid wood door “broken in two”.

Mr Cruickshank said: “These people are the lowest of the low. All my staff are furloughed and I am struggling to get the money together to pay them.

“All my staff are at home. Everyone is struggling. They could really use this money. It is theirs, they have earnt it, they need it.

“It is really dispicable what has happened.

“People are really going out their way, the volunteers, the NHS , the supermarket workers. But then someone does this.”

Mr Cruickshank employs around 40 staff in total and runs another pub in town, Troupers Bar.

He said that pub and several other premises in Stonehaven were vandalised with spray paint over the weekend.

Mr Cruickshank urged peopel to “be vigilant and look out for each other”.

“We are all suffering enough with this terrible virus and the effect it is havig on our businesses without scum like this making matters worse,” he added.