Thief lifts stainless steel handrail outside Emmarentia restaurant
A man was caught removing the handrail from the wheelchair ramp at a Wimpy in Emmarentia.
Of all the things to steal, a handrail next to a wheelchair ramp seems least likely. Yet, that is exactly what the owner of a Wimpy franchise in Emmarentia had to deal with at the weekend.
Security camera footage shows a man unbolting the handrail then pushing it back and forth to loosen it. As soon as it is loose enough he picks it up and walks out of the frame.
Watch: A food restaurant owner in Emmarentia was left shocked and angry after a scrap collector damaged his property and stole a balustrade on Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/eWIyVaRp5A
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The handrail is worth around R10 000 according to the manager of the restaurant. He believes this is the reason the man chose the unusual piece: "The guy must have figured [out] the value of it."
The manager, who is devastated about what the theft will cost his business, reported the incident to police. The thief is supposedly a scrap metal collector.