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A greedy estate agent has been sacked after he was caught stealing a bar of chocolate from a tenant’s flat.

The thief, wearing a purple suit, pinched the large Galaxy bar as he showed prospective renters around the property in Walthamstow.

But he was spotted by Jon Charter, who was trying out some new covert security cameras he had bought for his new house.

After initially trying to laugh it off, the light-fingered agent from company Your Move quickly apologised, saying he was “embarrassed and ashamed”.

Mr Charter, 42, an operations manager, had been living at the property in Hoe Street for the past ten years, but had recently given notice as he is buying a property in Essex with his wife Cissy Wang, 32.

The agent was showing new prospective tenants around the flat on Friday when the incident occurred.

Mr Charter said: “I was testing the cameras out that I had bought for my new house and happened to check them when I was at work. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I know it is only a chocolate bar, but it is the principle - it breaks all the trust. It is outrageous.

“Estate agents are not the most popular of people at the best of times but you’d never expect something like this. It just destroys whatever trust you may have.”

In a series of texts, the man, named George, begged Mr Charter not to “take it any further” and claimed he suffered from “dizziness and fainting”.

He said: “i (sic) didn’t feel right I needed sugar I was desperate I saw the chocolate on the other side and took it, I no that no an excuse (sic) and at the end of the day it wasn’t mine and it is stealing. I’m sorry and I know how series (sic) it is. Please don’t take it any further. My apologies.”

However Mr Charter was unimpressed and called the estate agent’s boss, who immediately fired him.

Manish Somani, Director of Your Move Sterling & Co. said: “We take pride in the provisions of our services and we are very serious the protection of our reputation and brand. Therefore as soon as we were made aware of this incident action was taken and the employee is no longer working for us.

“We have also apologised to both the tenant and landlord for this unfortunate incident and offered to compensate them for both the chocolate bar and any inconvenience caused. The landlord has fully accepted this apology.“