Thief's diet of fish n' chips

McPherson owns a convenience store in Aberdeen, Scotland. Aberdeen is on the northern coast of Scotland facing the North Sea. It's an old town, which was recognized as a Royal Burgh in 1319, thanks to Robert the Bruce.

McPherson tells about an unusual shoplifting case in which the thief walks into his store, grabs a pack of chips, takes them outside, tears the bag open, and shares the contents with his buddies who are waiting outside. And he keeps doing it every day.

Everybody who hears this tale seems to think it's funny about a thief stealing stuff off the shelf in a store right in front of the owner's eyes.

Not only that, but the thief always grabs the same thing - snack size, cheese Doritos. He takes nothing else! Always, always, there's a gang of his buddies waiting outside the store for their afternoon snack. The thief is always willing to share.

The store owner warned the neighborhood he was going to get his .22-caliber rifle and shoot the thief. But customers in the neighborhood said they'd pay for his losses if he would not harm the thief. McPherson agreed.

So the stealing continues, day- after- day. Now the merchant is happy because he's not losing money. Business has actually picked up because the convenience store is getting a lot of attention and free publicity because of the unusual nature of the crime - not to mention the crook's generosity with his cohorts.

One more thing. I guess I neglected to tell you much about the thief. He's not a person. Actually, the thief is a bird - a seagull, to be exact.

Every day this seagull walks - doesn't fly - into McPherson's store, grabs his Doritos, and walks out with them in his beak. The gull's buddies - too cowardly to steal their own chips - are always waiting outside for their daily

handoAuutt.hor's note: I actually have a film clip of the seagull

walking into, and out of, the store. I'd include the film clip

with this column, but am technically challenged to do so.

CallTheCops@sc.rr.com