SHOCKING CCTV footage shows the moment a callous thief stole a charity box in a pub, then finished his pint before leaving.

The film shows the drinker reaching over and fiddling with the chain that attached the charity box to the bar in The Albion in Moor Lane, Bolton town centre.

After around five minutes the man is seen unfastening his jacket and looking around the pub.

He then takes the charity box and puts it inside his jacket before continuing to drink his beer.

He then gets his wallet out and appears to count some change in his hand.

Around a minute later he puts the charity box inside his jacket, finishes the rest of his drink and walks away from the bar.

Paul Kirkman, licensee at The Albion, was in the pub on Sunday afternoon when he noticed that the box was missing.

That evening he checked the CCTV of the bar area of the pub and was left shocked by what he saw of

the man wearing a coat at the end of the bar drinking a pint of beer at around noon that day.

The charity box was to collect money for the Youth Cancer Trust.

Mr Kirkman said: "I was gobsmacked when I saw the CCTV. How can you take money from a charity?

"I think it was about three-quarters full. It doesn't matter how much money was in there. He stole from a charity."

Mr Kirkman is now hoping to make people aware of what the man did and stop other people being hit.

He said: "I just want other people to be aware. It could be shops or it could be pubs that he steals from."

Mr Kirkman shared the footage on social media and pubs from around the area started getting in touch to say that the same man had stolen charity boxes from their establishments.

He said that another town centre pub called him to say that he had hit them last week while pubs in Little Hulton, Farnworth and Walkden also got in touch to report the man stealing from there.

A police spokesman said that the theft has been reported to them and enquiries are ongoing.

To watch the footage go to www.TheBoltonnews.co.uk