A PHANTOM thief who is perhaps looking to spruce up the front of her own house has been caught on camera stealing a pair of hanging baskets.

In bemusing CCTV footage seen by the Gazette, a masked woman can be seen approaching a home in Rowan Place, Colchester, at about 2am on Thursday.

After scouting out the area for witnesses, she then stretches up and unhooks two hanging baskets from the front porch before calmly walking off from the scene.

Summa Lilley, 25, who has lived in the home targeted by the mastermind crook since January 2020, initially thought her plants had been taken by her boyfriend as a prank.

“I subconsciously look at the baskets every time I enter my house, so noticed they had gone that morning,” she added.

“I originally thought my partner had played a joke and hidden them because I did not realise people would steal things like this.

“I’ve had the baskets for around a year and never had any problems with them, but now I’m upset that people do this – you really can’t have anything nice nowadays.”

Since the not so high-value theft Summa has posted the footage online in the hope the woman responsible may see the clip and return her beloved hanging baskets.

So far, however, the flower pot poacher has not been forthcoming in handing herself in and Summa’s front porch remains absent of floral decoration.

She added: “I am fuming about it, because I hoped they would be returned on a guilty conscience but no doubt she will be at the car boot sale with them this weekend.

Gazette:

“I didn’t report it to the police because they are only hanging baskets, and they are not even worth loads of money.

“Where I live isn’t a cut through so you wouldn’t know any of it is there, so I don’t know what is going on but my neighbours had her basket taken the other day too.

“Who steals hanging baskets at two in the morning? Absolute scum.”