A trail of blood led police to a suspect accused of smashing his way into a Perth city centre café.
Willows Coffee Shop was targeted in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Raiders broke through a side window to get inside, and made off with the cash tray from the till. CCTV footage from inside the premises shows a man wearing shorts, with his right leg soaked in blood.
He was filmed searching through the St John’s Place establishment’s kitchen and dining area before running outside.
The tray – containing about £150 in cash – was dumped nearby and recovered by police.
Around the same time, the front door of the nearby Olive Tree Café was smashed when someone tried to get inside.
Owners said they were forced to close while the door was repaired, losing out on a full day’s takings.
Two cars parked in the area were also damaged.
Police Scotland confirmed that a man had been charged in connection with the break-in at Willows.
Boss Michael White said: “Thankfully, not too much was stolen.
“One of the side windows was smashed and there was a hole big enough to get inside. Whoever did this must have cut himself on the glass, because there was a lot of blood on the floor.
“We weren’t able to open at the usual time, because we had to spend a couple of hours clearing the place up and making sure it was safe and clean.”
A trail of blood could be seen leading from the front of the cafe to a side door. It is thought a concrete slab may have been used to smash the glass.
The cafe reopened for lunch using a side entrance while the main door was repaired.
It is the second time the premises has been hit this year. “We were broken into at the start of lockdown, when everything was closed down,” said Mr White. “It just hasn’t been a great year, has it?”
Olive Tree manager Audrey Maestri reported an attempted break-in overnight. “They didn’t get inside,” she said. “But they did damage the door.”
She said: “It’s just a senseless stupid act. What was he trying to get inside for? A cake? A sandwich?
“It means we now have to pay for the door to get fixed and we’ll lose about a day’s takings waiting for it to be repaired. We also have to write-off stock.”
She said: “Times are so hard for businesses like ours. We’ve been jumping through hoops to stay afloat and keep up with the regulations, and then something senseless like this happens.
“It makes you wonder if it’s all worth it.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We can confirm that a 42-year-old man has been charged in connection with a theft from a premises on St John’s Place, Perth, which took place around 12.20am on Wednesday. He will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.”
He said officers were also investigating the attempted break-in at the Olive Tree cafe.
