The owner of an award-winning fish and chip shop has expressed his shock after a customer stole a bread roll worth 50p.

Neil Bains, of My Plaice Fish & Chips in Gorleston, was preparing an order of two jumbo sausages and a portion of chips last week when he noticed the lid to the shop's white bread rolls had been taken off.

Mr Bains believed the customer had thought about buying one before deciding against it.

However, when he checked his shop's CCTV footage he said he was left in disbelief to see the male customer had stolen the bread roll from the premises in Baker Street.

Mr Bains said: "I didn't think he had taken it [the bread roll] so I didn't challenge him. But I watched the footage and saw him put the roll in his pocket.

"I couldn't believe it. It's not the money I'm bothered about it's the principle of it. He needs to show some respect."

Mr Bains, who has been running the family business for 11 years, said the customer had ordered from the shop on a number of occasions before this incident.

"He knows the menu and that he should have paid for the bread roll," he said.

"It's so petty."

A post about the alleged bread roll theft has been published on the fish and chip shop's Facebook page and has been widely shared.

The post said: "Could someone please kindly tell this gentleman it is 50p for [a] buttered bread roll. No one likes a petty thief. Thank you."

The theft has not been reported to police as Mr Bains said he did not think the incident needed to be escalated any further.

Earlier this month, My Plaice Fish and Chips was named a Good Food Award 2020 winner for fish and chips.It is the fifth consecutive year the shop has scooped the accolade, which is given out to businesses that have demonstrated exceptional levels of food quality, service and value.Mr Bains said he was delighted his business had won the award again and believed it was the personal touches which made his fish and chip shop stand out against the competition. MORE: East coast fish and chip shop is frying high in national competition