A determined mother from Dorset was forced to give chase in her Christmas pyjamas after a thief on a mobility scooter stole her family's festive garden decorations, in a scene she described as resembling a Benny Hill sketch.
Festive Footage Captures Bizarre Theft
The incident began on December 5th when Charlotte Freeman-Laurence, a 42-year-old NHS manager from Bournemouth, and her husband Joe discovered a £150 Nutcracker ornament had been taken from their doorstep. A neighbour's camera had spotted a mysterious man on a mobility scooter in their garden that morning, but the couple initially put it down to bad luck.
Just over a week later, the brazen thief struck again. While having a cup of tea at home, Charlotte's Ring doorbell camera activated, showing a man dressed in black making off with her large Santa-themed postbox. "I legged it out of the house," Charlotte recalled. She immediately gave chase but was shocked to find herself outpaced by the suspect's vehicle.
A Comical Pursuit in Festive Attire
Undeterred, the mum-of-three ran back to get her car to continue the pursuit. She eventually spotted the man on the side of the road, attempting to conceal the letterbox in a bin bag. "He then got back on his scooter and I gave chase," she said. "He had a head start on me, and I think it was a souped-up scooter because it was quick."
Charlotte managed to catch up with the man and successfully retrieved the stolen postbox from his mobility scooter. She later posted the humorous yet startling doorbell footage online in an effort to identify the individual, and reported the incident to Dorset Police.
A Petty Thief with a Taste for Christmas?
The story had a further positive outcome. After Charlotte provided information to the officers, they visited a location and successfully retrieved the stolen Nutcracker ornament, returning it to the family. "They went there yesterday, and the nutcracker has been returned to us," Charlotte confirmed.
Reflecting on the bizarre series of events, which left everyone she told in fits of laughter, Charlotte speculated about the thief's motives: "I think he was a petty thief with a love of Christmas." The entire episode, from the chase in her pyjamas to the recovery of the decorations, was an unexpected and surreal twist in her family's festive preparations.
