A guard caught a shoplifter allegedly stuffing her shorts with cookware at a mall in the Philippines.

The vigilant security officer noticed the woman stashing the goods under her oversized dress at the Happy Go shopping centre in Iba, Zambales, on November 23.

He called out to the lady, who strode away trying to escape as she ignored his warnings. But when two more staff arrived, she had no choice but to go with them to the employees' area of the mall.

Footage shows the woman lifting her dress and pulling out piles of ladles, spatulas, and other goods she had plucked from the shelves - to the shock of the staff who said the cost of the stolen items would have been taken from their pay checks.

The guard said he had caught another person believed to be the woman's accomplice.

Local media reported that the woman, who was not named by police, may face legal charges for the attempted theft.