A woman was stunned after returning to find her driveway gates had been stolen while her family were still at home.
Rachael Sell, from Cornwall, was puzzled as to why anyone would steal the wooden gates, which were made to fit her house.
They were stolen while Mrs Sell was out with a friend on Saturday night and her husband Dave was at home with their children.
Mrs Sell said her friend pointed out that something was missing from the front of the house when they returned home.
The missing gates meant that they didn't initially recognise the house.
"It's very very strange and not to mention annoying," Mrs Sell said.
"I thought, at first, someone might have just taken them off and dumped them.
"My husband drove around the local area to see if they were around but nothing."
Mrs Sell said it wasn't the first time something had happened to the gate and last month, someone knocked the gates and latched it.
A few weeks ago, the rope was taken and replaced with "some crap string type rope".
At the time, the family had thought nothing of it - although they were annoyed.
Mrs Sell continued: "Then the gates were stolen.
"The way I tied that rope, it couldn't have been just taken off quickly. It seems like a planned gate theft.
"Dave said you could move your own gate posts to fit ours, but it would look suspicious. Who buys a second hand gate?"
The wooden structure cost the family around £500, when it was bought around five years ago.
"I think we'll just leave it," Mrs Sell said.
"We've reported it to the police, but I don't think it'll turn up. It's probably being used as firewood. It's so frustrating."
She added that she'll be keeping an eye out for anyone who has sudden - and recognisable - new gates in the area.
