ALLEY PRATS
YOUTHS STOLE SECURITY CAMERA THAT FILMED THEM IN THE ACT
TWO youths brazenly prowling gardens at 5am stupidly stole a CCTV camera which filmed them in the act.
The teenagers scaled walls over 7ft high and searched gardens of homes in the Brereton Avenue and Hart Street areas of Cleethorpes at 5am yesterday.
A neighbour, renowned for being an early bird, confronted the youths as they fled down an alleyway and said they were “just meeting friends”.
But the eagle-eyed resident spotted a CCTV camera at one of the homes was missing and alerted neighbours.
One of them, Aaron Goss, 21, checked his CCTV cameras and caught the duo scouring the area and taking one of his cameras off the wall.
“Luckily the neighbour is one of those early birds and he spotted them and asked what they were doing in our alleyway and they said they were meeting friends. But he noticed one of my cameras was missing. It is good to have neighbours who look out for each other,” told Aaron.
He said all the residents were alerted and they all checked their property.
Aaron added: “I checked the CCTV and saw one of them had a bicycle. When I shared it on Facebook someone said it was her bike that had been stolen that night. The images on the CCTV are clear and they were looking straight at the camera. It showed them going into everyone’s gardens and trying shed doors. They were scouting for cycles. We understand the police are linking them with other thefts. Everyone rang the police on 101 and they were straight on to it.”
Clear footage shows them brazenly entering a number of gardens in full daylight. They are seen looking over fences and gates and climbing over boundaries between homes.
Mr Goss said: “CCTV cameras have helped people in our neighbourhood. I know it is after the event. But it proves how useful they are in keeping people safe.” Humberside Police later arrested two youths in connection with the incident. A spokeswoman for Humberside Police confirmed they are investigating the burglary.
She advised residents to always make sure sheds and garages have good quality lock and hinges.
Police recommend residents consider fitting deterrents in the garden like movement sensitive floodlights which make thieves feel exposed. Likewise alarms on sheds and garages deter thieves.
She urged that garden tools, DIY equipment and leisure items such as fishing and golf equipment should be locked away in storage cupboards within outbuildings to form a second line of defence to thieves. The spokeswoman said: “Damage to a CCTV camera was caused by two teenagers who then are reported to have entered a number of gardens and broken into a shed. Anyone with information that would help with our investigation should call us on 101 quoting reference 16/73269/20.”
The images on the CCTV are clear and they were looking straight at the camera.
Aaron Goss