A “LOW life” thief broke into a popular restaurant less than an hour after closing time... to steal a few pounds from a charity cash tin.

The Siege House, in East Street, Colchester, was targeted by “a man with a noticeably pointy nose” in the early hours of Saturday morning.

CCTV shows the raider initially tried to get in through the eaterie’s main door by chipping away at the wood around it.

But he gave up and threw a rock through a small nearby window and crawled in through there.

Once inside, he spurned the expensive wine and kitchen equipment and took a cash tin set aside for a charity launched in memory of seven-year-old Bures schoolgirl Daisy Brooks, who died after fighting a rare and aggressive brain tumour in 2014.

Co-owner Mark Burley said: “There was probably only a matter of pounds in it because it had been emptied relatively recently.

READ MORE: Siege House clocks up three years of history and top quality food

“Luckily the silent alarm went off but the CCTV shows he got away 20 seconds before the police arrived.”

Essex Police is investigating the incident.

Mr Burley added: “The window he got through was small so he must be a contortionist of some sort to have got in.

“The thing that actually stood out was his distinctly pointy nose.

“It is frustrating as, for example, on the Friday, I worked from 9am to midnight; working to make a living and this low life thinks he can come in a take things from us - it’s unbelievable.”

It is not the first time Mr Burley and business partner Darren Lisney have had to pay out for broken windows, an issue which he puts down to streetlights near to the restaurant being switched off at 1am.

He added: "In terms of the vandalism, it isn't the first time we have had our windows smashed.

"In the fours years we've been here, it has happened maybe seven or eight times and that is what really costs us money. 

"Although it's on the insurance, the excess is very high because of the [listed status] of the building." 

The break-in took place between 1am and 1.10am on Saturday morning.

Anyone with information should call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111.