A DIY store owner left his shop open and attended only by an honesty box on Boxing day and made almost £200.
Tom Algie who runs Practically Everything, in Settle, North Yorkshire, had given his two part time staff the day off and was toying with opening up after Christmas.

Mr Algie told diyweek.net: "You know what it's like after Christmas people want batteries or need to replace things they've broken so I thought the shop should be open.

"But I had things to do so I just thought I'd put in an honesty box and I really didn't think too much about it.

"It's a nice market town here and I think we had around 200 people through the door and they would have been looking at each other so the community just watched itself."

Mr Algie left the shop, which has no CCTV, at 10am and returned at 4.15pm to find takings of £187 in the box he rigged up from a bucket, hosepipe and a funnel.

The shop had goods for sale placed outside it, as on a normal trading day, and a few signs explaining that no staff were there and cash could be paid through the honesty box.

Nothing was stolen and the shop, one of about 100 in the town of 2100 people, was also undamaged.

Mr Algie added: "The box was pretty secure and would have taken a bit of effort to take, but no one even tried. I would do it again but I don't think I'd publicise when."