Leaf it out! CCTV captures moment thief steal plants from mother’s driveway by stashing them in her wheelie bin

• Brenda Weldon realised her plants were missing two days after they were stolen

By Matt Drake[1]

Published: 14:13, 18 December 2023 | Updated: 14:13, 18 December 2023

This is the moment a brazen thief was caught on CCTV stealing plants from a driveway and using a wheelie bin to make her escape.

Brenda Weldon, 36, was about to put up her outdoor Christmas[2] decorations when she noticed that her plant pots were missing.

She checked her camera footage and noticed a woman taking two of her topiary shrubs while Ms Weldon was working a night shift.

The footage shows a woman 'waltzing' down her driveway, picking up the plants and setting them down near the gate.

The plant thief can be seen using a bin to wheel the plants away from the driveway

The theft took place last month on November 19, while Brenda Weldon was working a night shift

The plants are seen inside the wheelie bin just moments before the thief wheeled them away

A few minutes later, the footage shows plant thief coming back with a wheelie bin to transport them away.

Ms Weldon, who works for the council, was left in disbelief that someone could carry out the theft in such a well-lit area.

The 36-year-old, from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, only noticed the plants were missing two days after the theft on November 19.

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 put the two of them together behind the big gate so no one can see them.

'Then she disappeared for eight or nine minutes then I saw her coming with a wheelie bin. She put them in and walked away.

Ms Weldon, from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire noticed the the plants were missing two days after the theft

When Ms Weldon showed her friends and family the video, they said they were baffled by the 'bizarre' sight

'To be honest, watching it happen, I thought, "What a cheeky ****".'

After angrily watching the video back, she began to question whether the criminal simply liked them but couldn't afford her own plants, or if there was another reason.

The mum-of-three: '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.

The plants were set down by the gate before the thief came back a few minutes later with a bin

The mum-of-three wants to share her story in order to highlight the criminal's wrongdoing

Ms Weldon added: '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.

References

1. ^ Matt Drake (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Christmas (www.dailymail.co.uk)