A WOMAN in Southend stole a beautiful Christmas wreath from a front door... and looked pretty pleased with herself.

Echo:

What have we here? - the thief approaches the wreath

The man who rightfully owns the wreath, purchased for £50 from Alton Garden Centre, in Wickford, released CCTV footage of the brazen act.

Echo:

Sizing up - she then inspects the wreath before taking it

The footage shows the woman, wearing a pink, beret-style woolly hat, and black leather jacket, casually walk up to the house, in Bournemouth Park Road, Southchurch.

She gently removes the white wreath from the door, all while happily grinning before walking off down the road.

Echo:

Yoink! - she then takes the wreath and walks off

The man who didn't want to named, said: "Sunday morning I woke up to my alarm going off.

"As I reached over to the bedside cabinet for my phone I noticed a notification on the screen saying 'unfamiliar face at the front door'.

"As I pressed and held the notification I could see someone physically lifting our door wreath off, I couldn't believe it, I thought I was seeing things.
"I know its only a wreath and it's not like it's a real crime, like an attack, but to us it's the principle - someone can come onto our property and just help themselves to something, its not acceptable."

A spokesman for Essex Police has now confirmed they are looking to speak to thief: "We are aware of theft of a Christmas wreath from a property in Bournemouth Park Road, Southend, at around 7am on Sunday, December 2.
"We have identified a person we would like to talk to about the incident.
"Enquiries are ongoing."