A woman was caught red handed walking into a pub and then leaving with an ornament of Santa.
CCTV footage taken at the Shippons pub on in Irby on Saturday at around 1.50pm shows a woman entering the Wirral pub, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Wearing a patterned grey cardigan, she walks into the foyer of the pub and appears to look around before grabbing the Christmas decoration and tucking it under arm.
The brazen woman can be seen walking through the glass doors and leaving the venue.
Steve Edmunds who has run the Shippons for 13 years said the incident was "bizarre" and "disappointing".
The 62-year-old said he had the particular decoration for as long as he has been landlord of the pub and is "the first thing" he brings out during the festive season.
Steve said he also believes that someone had come into the pub within the last 10 days knowing the ornament was there.
Speaking to the ECHO, Steve said: "It's awful because we have had that particular Father Christmas for as long as we have had the pub which is almost 13 years.
"And every Christmas he comes out and he is always the first thing we bring out because we put the menus in front of him and that's what his purpose is.
"We don't put the rest of the decorations up until quite a bit later.
"So it's just a bit disappointing, he's out there and he's the first sign that Christmas is on his way in terms of the pub."
Steve shared the footage on the pub's Facebook page in the hopes of identifying the woman.
In another clip it appears the woman gets out of a white Renault Clio driven by someone else, before driving off again.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm we received a report that a Father Christmas decoration was stolen from The Shippons pub in Irby on Saturday, November 6.
"The decoration was reportedly stolen from a table in foyer of the public house around 2pm.
"The figurine is between 2ft to 3ft tall.
"The offender is reported to be a white woman in her 30s, slim build and brown hair.
If you have any information regarding the theft please contact @MerPoLCC or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 with reference 21000772745.
