A Scots cafe owner chased down and caught two alleged sweet treat thieves.
Can Misirlioglu was working around the back of his Écosse Éclairs eatery on Easter Road in Edinburgh when he heard the bell on his door and saw a man attempt to steal a £40 tray of eclairs. The 39-year-old began to pursue when another guy warned their accused thieving accomplice, and the two fled the business.
But, having been targeted by antisocial behaviour from the shop’s inception some years ago, Can was not about to let the suspected perpetrators get away. He chased them down and grabbed one by the collar, but the eclairs tumbled to the ground, he told Edinburgh Live.
The two suspected burglars appeared astonished to be apprehended, but then attempted to swipe the eclairs from the ground. Can then smashed the baked delicacies with his foot before providing a harsh warning to the criminal duo.
“I was in the back of my shop and heard the door beeper sound so I looked at the camera and saw a man trying to grab a tray of eclairs,” he said. I rushed out but his friend spotted me and warned him. I managed to grab the man by the collar of his jacket but then he dropped the tray.
“I was so angry, I told them if I ever catch them doing it again, the result will be much worse. One of the guys then tried to pick up the eclairs off the floor but I stomped on them as I did not want their behaviour to be rewarded.
“They were shocked I caught them. I understand why people are afraid to confront these guys because they could have a knife and get stabbed or beaten up.
“But in my culture back in Turkey, the neighbourhood would deal with these people and they would not do it again. I am not afraid of them as I love my business and would put myself in harm’s way to protect it.”
In the video, Can is seen sprinting towards the door as the two men depart; his dog Figo attempts to follow but is on the lead at the time. The shop owner also stated that the neighbourhood has been plagued by problems by the same group of persons who have repeatedly been reported to the police.
In recent months, he claims that the local Scotmid, a neighbouring café, and a pharmacy have all been victims of shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.
“This is not the first time this has happened, it is getting out of control in the area,” Can said. “I had a couple guys come in and they tried to grab my tablet and some shortbread.
“On another occasion I had to throw a man out and he began to throw rocks and stones at me, smashing my lemonade holder. I’ve also had to spend hundreds of pounds to fix my shop window after we were broken into.
“This group come in and try to take whatever they can get their hands on. I have reported these people to the police several times but it doesn’t seem like anything is being done.
“I think businesses do feel a bit abandoned. The whole city seems to have a problem right now and I’m fed up with the vandalism, shoplifting and robberies.
“I’ve spoken to my MSP and he had said he would try to get more patrols but sadly the police need to mark this area as a priority. So we have to keep complaining for them to take us seriously.
“At the moment I feel fed up and I do think about whether my life would be easier going back to being a professional chef. But you cannot let this sort of thing get you down. Ultimately these people need to be taught a lesson.”
The incident occurred at around 6.02pm on Monday October 28. Police Scotland are yet to be contacted about the alleged disturbance.
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