A gang of laughing thieves were caught on camera stealing a blow-up Father Christmas from outside a family's home. The balaclava-clad group ran away with the decoration - before returning and posting one of its legs through the front door.
The dad who put the inflatable up for his two-year-old daughter said the leg "had burn marks on it". He also said he thought the thieves were determined to "try and get a reaction".
The decorative Santa was taken from the front of a house in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, the Echo reports. In the footage, taken on Sunday, November 27, one of the group can be seen lifting his friend up on to his shoulders as he asks: "Can you reach it?"
His friend then grabs the item and pulls it, causing stuffing to fly out. The dad - who asked only to be referred to by his first name, Liam - said he put up the Father Christmas earlier that day, only to step outside to find it had gone.
The group burst out laughing as they run away from the house with the Christmas decoration in tow. Liam, who was at home at the time, heard a clunking sound as the group pulled the inflatable from the window and went outside to find it had been stolen.
The dad-of-two said the group returned a short time later with the leg. He said: "They posted a leg through the door which obviously had burn marks on it.
"I didn't go chasing after them and didn't give them much of a reaction so they've posted the leg through and then booted the door to try and get a reaction."
The incident follows a spate of anti-social behaviour in the town focused on a local shopping centre. Sharing the CCTV in a community group on Facebook, Liam said: "I see the lads causing havoc a few days ago are keeping up the Christmas spirit destroying a toddler's Father Christmas thankyou very much lads."
Liam added: "I shared the footage to see if anyone recognised them and to make people aware in the area of what had gone on so they could keep an eye out."
