Patron busted stealing bar mat from pub

A man has been busted stealing a large bar mat from a pub in southern Queensland, being caught in the act on CCTV footage.

The Irish Club Hotel, located in the centre of Toowoomba, shared a video on its Instagram page, showing a man standing at the bar and sliding his hand underneath a large black bar mat, with the Guinness logo on it.

The man, who has a large beard and tattoos on his arm, appears to nod at one of the pub’s staff members, before swiping the mat from the bar and walking away.

Staff members and other patrons did not seem to notice him take the not so subtle souvenir from the bar, however it was clearly noticed by staff who noticed the mat missing and reviewed CCTV footage from the night.

“You wouldn’t steal a car. You wouldn’t steal a handbag. Stealing our ONLY Guinness bar mat. IT’S A CRIME,” the caption reads, referencing the “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” anti-piracy ads from the early 2000s that have become famous in popular culture.

“How will people know we sell Guinness?” the caption added, reflecting on the popularity of the product in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

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Guinness is a famous Irish alcoholic beverage that has been in production for more than 250 years, but it is experiencing a surge in popularity around the world, including in Australia.

Data from Dan Murphy’s found sales in Guinness had jumped up by 563 per cent in the last year, and the overall brand has grown by 22.7 per cent.

Part of its popularity is a social media trend called “Splitting the G”, where the challenge is to get the lower line of the foam to sit in the middle of the G on the famous Guinness glass in your first gulp of the stout.

“Guinness is having a real moment. It’s absolutely going off like a frog in a sock,” Australian Hotels Association’s Chris Gatfield told A Current Affair in January.

“For a brand that’s been around forever, that everybody knows that’s been marketed to death, is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Despite the theft, it appears Guinness mats are widely available for anyone to purchase online, with Guinness’ official store selling them, while a quick online search shows similar bar mats available for as little as $27.