WATCH: Shameless thief swipes charity box from Pizza Hut counter

The thief swooped at Pizza Hut in Newton Road, Great Barr.

CCTV footage shows a man, who is thought to be of Eastern European descent, walking into the takeaway and casually chatting with staff before shoving a Children in Need collection box up his jumper and fleeing the scene.

The theft happened at around 5pm on Tuesday.

Manager Mohammed Piprawala, aged 35, said the incident had left everyone at the takeaway 'stunned and disgusted'.

"He came in and stood by the counter and was smiling and talking away," Mr Piprawala said.

"He had a strong Eastern European accent and told me he was waiting for his wife to come so they could decide what they were going to order.

"We were quite busy at the time and the next thing I knew he had put the charity box up his jumper and was out the door. Everyone was stunned.

"It's disgusting really. We've been here since 2008 and no one can remember anything like this happening before."

The thief is described as being of medium build and around 6ft (1.83m) in height. He was wearing a black cap featuring a yellow emblem and a grey hooded top over a black shirt.

Mr Piprawala estimates the box contained around £20 when it was taken. "We usually donate a few hundred pounds a year from the box," he said. "It's upset a lot of the staff because they usually put bits of change in there at the end of their shifts.

"It's not just about the money. No one in their right mind, no matter how desperate they are should be stealing charity money."

West Midlands Police is investigating the theft.