Sneaky squirrel steals sausage from South Shields Dicksons store

Just last week we were sent videos of a seagull brazenly walking into a King Street Greggs store and making off with a packet of crisps, followed by another of a bird attempting daylight robbery at Holland & Barrett, on the same street.

Now it appears the squirrels have caught on.

Caitlynn Walsh captured this video of a red squirrel helping itself to the produce in Dicksons butchers, in Fowler Street.

The 19-year-old, from South Shields, was taking shelter from the rain with her daughter, Lilah Holmes, father-in-law Marc Holmes, mother-in-law Kelianne Broome, and brother-in-law Leon Broome, when she spotted the critter helping itself to a feast in the shop window.

Caitlynn, who is studying hairdressing and barbering at South Tyneside College, said: “There were loads of people outside and I’d just ran over to get some shelter when it started raining, then I saw it running around in the window.

“Everyone was just laughing and trying to get pictures and videos of it and I just had to get one. The staff didn’t know what to do. Someone was on the phone to the RSPCA and someone else was on the phone to their boyfriend telling them to come to the shop and bring a box with them.

“It was just running around having a bit of sausage then it ran over to the pasties and tried a bit of that too. Eventually it just ran out of the shop and ran away, then up a tree.

“They closed the shop straight away and just apologised and said they’d had to sterilise everything and throw all of the fresh food away. It must have cost them quite a bit.”

Squirrels usually feed on nuts and seeds but have been known to eat meat, especially when faced with hunger.