A burglar who targeted a cake shop got more than he bargained for when its owner turned up for work.

Karen Evans, 52, who owns Bessie's Tea Parlour in Albion Street, Broadstairs, was shocked when she caught the burglar red-handed.

The 52-year-old said: "I came in early this morning to start cutting up the cakes.

"I had just had my delivery of bread and I was taking it downstairs, as I came back up I saw a man walking quickly out of my shop and my till was open and that was when I started to chase him.

"I started screaming and shouting at him. I must have looked like a mad woman in a vintage frock and pinny running up the high street.

"We went through a car park but then he disappeared down an alleyway and thought that was it."

A group of good samaritans then decided to lend a hand.

Karen added: "Other people in the high street who I didn't even know and who have just opened up a new shop came out to help.

"When they caught up with me they said they'd phoned the police.

"The hairdresser opposite had run the other way and managed to catch him.

"They brought him back and I got my money back out of his pocket."

"I started screaming and shouting at him. I must have looked like a mad woman in a vintage frock and pinny running up the high street...." Karen Evans

Everyone who helped has been supplied with hot cross buns to say thank you.

Karen added: "It has been a bit traumatic and I haven't run that far in a very long time.

"I feel sad because he must be desperate to be doing something like that.

"I started to feel really sorry for the guy when we had him back here waiting for the police as he was saying he had no money to pay for his rent.

"Actually though I'd baked for 15 hours the previous day to earn that money so why should he take it?"

He said: "I had just finished cutting my client's hair and I could see this bloke running down the road.

"I didn't recognise him but I saw a woman I recognised from the cake shop chasing after him and shouting, she looked stressed and I knew something wasn't right.

"I ran the other way to her as I knew the roads led round to each other and I was chasing this guy for probably half a mile when I got to him at Eastern Esplanade,

"I got him in a headlock and he was like fair enough you got me. I asked him what he'd done because at that point I didn't know, he showed me the money in his pocket which he had stolen so I escorted him back to the cake shop to give the money back."

Police spokesman Scarlet Jones said they received a report of a theft from a store at 9.59am today (Thursday, March 24).

She said: "Officers attended the scene in Albion Street, Broadstairs, and a man from Broadstairs was arrested on suspicion of burglary and remains in police custody."