An Italian shopkeeper organised a whip-round for an elderly customer after she caught him shoplifting from her grocery store in Cagliari.
"He should have told me. He's always been a good customer and I was upset to see him forced into stealing," said Ada Nieddu, whose customers immediately rallied round to make sure the impoverished and hungry pensioner would be able to feed himself properly.
The 75-year-old, who was not identified, reportedly broke down in tears when his purloined pack of pasta and lump of cheese fell from under his jumper at the check-out.
"He looked up at me and the tears started rolling down his cheeks. It was all I could do not to start crying myself," Mrs Nieddu told reporters.
The rising price of bread, pasta and other Italian staples have hit already struggling Italian households hard recently.
Italian consumer associations said the pensioner's plight, the second such incident this month, highlighted the need for "urgent" government action to help those most in need.
