Doorbell camera footage captured a man casually strolling through a carefully landscaped front garden before backing up and uprooting a plant from its pot.
The bizarre clip was posted to a Facebook group for residents of Crawley in West Sussex by the vengeful owner of the house.
The caption read: ‘Thanks to the guy who stole our plant. We hope it makes you happy and dies.’
Dressed in a black puffer jacket and gray track pants, the alleged thief calmly walks past the property situated on the edge of a wooded area in West Crawley.
The footage, recorded by a Ring doorbell, shows the man looking towards the house before pulling the hood over his head and heading towards his target plant.
Dressed in a black padded jacket and gray sweatpants, the alleged thief is hiding under his hood.
The man grabs the leaves and pulls the plant out of its pot.
Using its leaves as a handle, the man pulls the plant out of the white pot and runs from the scene.
As he escapes, the wind blows off his hood, revealing his blonde hair.
Crawley residents were left baffled by the images.
Reacting to the video posted on Facebook, one user said: ‘Steal a plant. It is real?
Another said: “You could argue that evidence has been placed there.”
One local added: ‘Plants are expensive, he obviously knows that. “It’s sad that you can’t have these luxury items outside your house, but nowadays it’s like leaving your wallet at the door.”
On the eve of Father’s Day, one user wrote: “His dad will be super happy with that tomorrow.”
Doorbell footage captured the man removing the plant from a property in Crawley.
The Facebook post has been viewed more than 45,000 times.
Social media users have praised the owner’s handling of the alleged theft, with one writing: “I love your attitude about it!”
Sussex Police have been contacted for comment.