CCTV shows moment local uses wheelie bin as 'getaway vehicle' to steal plants
A mum-of-three has exposed a "cheeky" resident after they used her wheelie bin as a "getaway vehicle" to steal plants from her driveway.
Brenda Weldon, from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, has shared the moment an unnamed woman approached her home and snatched two of her artificial topiary plants. She decided to release the footage after realising she had become a "victim of crime" two days after the incident which took place on November 19.
The council worker explained she was working a night shift when CCTV showed the mystery local "waltz" down her driveway in the early hours of the morning. The shocking clip showed the thief place the plants outside her gate and then return minutes later with a wheelie bin before whizzing away.
The woman approached the home in the early hours of the morning (Kennedy News and Media)
The thief placed the plants outside of the gate (Kennedy News and Media)However, it was only when she went out to put up her Christmas decorations that she noticed her shrubs had gone missing. The council worker said she had the plants for a year. Describing her discovery, she said: "I was going to put up my decorations outside, my Christmas lights, when I first noticed they'd disappeared. I thought 'Maybe I moved them?' but I didn't remember doing that. So I asked my son, 'Did you move the plants?' and he said 'No, mum, I'd never move your plants'.
"I started to think it had been stolen so I straight away checked my CCTV. I saw this person, she was walking past the big gate on my driveway. She kind of noticed those plants and then she looked and went back. She came back to the big gate, waltzed straight to the front door, took one plant to the gate and then she came back a few minutes later for the other one. She puts the two of them together behind the big gate so no one can see them. She disappears for eight or nine minutes then I see her coming with a wheelie bin. She puts them in and walks away."
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The woman disappeared and then came back with a wheelie bin (Kennedy News and Media)After angrily watching the video back, she began to sympathetically question whether perhaps the criminal simply liked them but couldn't afford her own plants. Brenda said: "I was so angry and annoyed. It just made my blood boil. I bought the plants last year but I was waiting for a while to buy them as they kept going out of stock. But they didn't last long. I have no idea why she'd do it. At first I thought maybe she just liked the plants and couldn't afford them. Then I thought maybe she has problems."
After showing friends and family the video, they were equally baffled by the "bizarre" sight, but now the mum wants to share her story in order to highlight the criminal's wrongdoing. Brenda said: "It's bizarre. I showed my husband and friends the video. They've all thought the same, 'what a cheeky...'. I can't believe that someone can do that, that they'd steal some plants, that they'd just come with a wheelie bin from wherever she lives.
"It's important to share the story as what happened isn't right. I'm a victim of crime. Outside my house is a lamp post so it's very bright and I have the cameras and the ring doorbell, so I didn't think someone would steal anything. It's a main street so it's very well lit. But I guess when someone wants to do something like that, they'll find a way." Lancashire Police confirmed the incident has been reported and is under investigation.
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