A jewellery seller is set to hire security to deter thieves after a shoplifter stole two display busts full of necklaces from her stall.

The wrongdoer ran off with the items under each arm following the incident at Chad MacKenzie's Westgate-On-Sea business, called Bling and Rocks, last weekend during the town's Christmas lights switch-on event.

The criminal - who was dressed in black - struck in Station Road just after 5pm on December 4 when the retailer's back was briefly turned as she started to pack up for the day.

After being alerted to the incident by a Good Samaritan, Ms Mackenzie chased after the miscreant, who later disappeared down an alleyway.

"I literally turned around for a second to fold up one of my tables and a guy came running down from the shop behind me and said I think you’ve had something nicked," the 69-year-old told KentOnline.

"I sprinted down the street to try to find them, but they had gone.

"The jewellery is gone, but I’d like to get my busts back because they're unique.

"They are copyrighted so they can’t be made again and were gifted to me.

"He was a total opportunist. I'm sad, mostly for the person who did it, but I'll keep going - I wont let the thieves beat me."

The stolen display items are made from rubber and have a head and face, rather than just the typical neck.

Meanwhile, the three pieces of jewellery that were hanging around the busts were each worth between £20 and £33.50.

Ms Mackenzie describes the items she sells as "not everyone’s style, but very unique".

"It’s my money, and he’s taken my profits away," she added.

"That’s hard when you’re a small business.

"Unfortunately next year, I think I'm going to have to hire someone to be my security."

Despite this, she says she has never had an incident similar to the one earlier this month.

No witnesses have come forward since it happened, and no CCTV footage of the theft has been found.

Ms Mackenzie - who decided against reporting the case to the police - stresses she will no longer leave jewels on the busts while packing away, and that the miscreant "just got lucky".

This comes after another business in the town, J. Prentis greengrocer in Station Road, was rocked by a string of fruit thefts last month.

"Westgate used to be such a nice place, but it's having more and more problems," Ms Mackenzie, who has lived in the area for six years, added.

"Cars are getting vandalised, someone got stabbed at Birchington station earlier this year, then the greengrocers had to put CCTV out.

"It’s just happening more and more and it's so sad because it stops our little village-type life."