Village baker slams honesty box theft totalling £90

Laura Craig has been selling £3 treats from an unlocked cupboard in Salterforth, Lancashire, for the past month but this weekend she noticed both stock and income was low.

The 39-year-old took to Facebook on Sunday, May 4 to declare dishonest thieves had been taking cakes without payment so she's had to halt her trust-based sales.

The Cake Cupboard owner, who has been selling treats to cafes for two years, says up to 10 cakes per day were stolen between Friday and Sunday - totalling a possible £90 loss.

Many Facebook users supported the mum-of-two's idea and said that selfish people should be ashamed they are ruining the honesty box for others. But others branded it daft and suggested she was dangling a carrot in front of vulnerable people.

Laura, who lives in Salterforth, said: "I was angry because they're ruining it for everyone else. On Friday I emptied it and saw it was quite empty but I hadn't had many card payments and there wasn't much cash in the tin. I was down by 20%.

"It's a minority that are stealing but it was up to 10 cakes per day over the bank holiday weekend. It's a tiny amount but if that happens every day then that's me out of pocket a lot so I have to put a stop to it.

"It had been really good and worked really well and this weekend is the first time we've had theft so I couldn't believe it.

"The first three weeks were amazing. I was selling enough to refill it twice on a Friday and then three or four on a Saturday and a Sunday. I'm not naive. I know we're going to be a pound down here and there. It's fine because I know things like that can happen.

"Some people have said they knew it wouldn't work but they're just negative people. You don't know unless you try. It's just teething problems. There's cake boxes up and down the county.

"I've been flabbergasted by the support and I've had a lot of private messages with great feedback. I'm not going to open it this weekend but I'm looking into CCTV. The box accepted payment both through cash left at the cupboard and via digital smart phone payments."

Laura was a post woman before setting up her dream baking business and figured an unmanned honesty box was the best way to earn some money during her busy weekends.

Her post revealing its closure has almost 100 likes, comments and shares with users either supporting the angry owner or appearing to blame her for her struggles.

One commented: "Haa. If I was struggling or homeless and there were cakes sitting there, I would also help myself. Same with kids who don't have cash or nothing good from home! Not to mention the tearaway and stoners!!'

"Try securing, protecting and managing it and not expecting the other eight billion people in the world to think and act like you want them to. You dangled a carrot and now you're sad someone got a bite."

A second agreed and said: "We live in a dishonest world. If kids get wind of free cakes, what's going to happen? Daft idea to begin with."

However, one commented: "Whoever you are who are taking and not paying should be truly ashamed of yourselves. This lady works so hard to bring joy to many many cake loving people and you are just spoiling it for the majority. Do the right thing please."

Another said: "Oh that's rubbish, I don't understand what's wrong with people these days. So selfish. A third suggested: Get CCTV, then if it happens again get it posted all over social media to name and shame. They'll soon stop."