A gang of thieves were captured on camera stealing an inflatable Father Christmas from outside a family's home.
CCTV shows the moment the balaclava clad thieves swiped the Christmas decoration as it dangled from the side of a house in Skelmersdale. Liam, who asked only to be referred to by his first name, said he had put the inflatable up for his two-year-old daughter that day, before he came outside to find it had been stolen.
In the footage, taken on Sunday, November 27, one of the group can be seen lifting his friend up onto his shoulders as he asks "can you reach it?" His friend then grabs the inflatable Father Christmas and pulls it from the string, causing stuffing to fly out of it.
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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 and posted a leg from the inflatable through the front door. 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 comes following a spate of anti-social behaviour in the area around the Concourse Shopping Centre in the town.
Sharing the CCTV in a local community group on Facebook, Liam said: "I see the lads causing havoc round the Conny a few days ago are keeping up the Christmas spirit destroying a toddlers 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."
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