A waitress has issued an appeal to track down a thief caught on camera stealing her handbag.

Sandra Budisevskyte was at work in the Station Cafe, Sittingbourne, last Tuesday, when a man sneaked into the back of the shop through a door that had been left open.

He was captured on CCTV casually walking away with her bag under his arm. It contained £450 in cash, her passport and other vital documents, including bills stating her address.

The waitress said: “My whole life was in my bag and he just took it all from me. Everything was in it, my money, ID cards and house keys.

“I don’t know how he got around the back. There’s a car park but that’s a private one.”

The 30-year-old, who is originally from Lithuania, said the theft had left her unable to sleep. He had my house keys and that night I was on edge waiting to see if someone was going to use them and come into my home,” she said.

“I’ve changed the locks so I feel a little safer now, but that guy is still out there.”

The unidentified man got into to the property when staff accidently left the back door unlocked after taking a cigarette break. Taking only the bag which was hidden under a coat, he apparently ignored other jackets nearby.

The thief was captured on the shop’s CCTV camera and Sandra has issued an appeal via Facebook for anyone who may know him to come forward.

“I want people to see that scumbag and I want everyone to know what kind of people are around us,” she said.

“If he does it during the day you don’t know what he’ll do at night.”

Police confirmed they were investigating the theft.

Anyone with details is asked to call police on 101, quoting reference number 30/0954.