A pub has been left stunned after its security cameras recorded a peculiar theft taking place outside the premises.
The Potter in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, had its snowman, affectionately named Sammy by staff, taken from its position at approximately 10pm last Sunday evening.
Video footage shows three individuals passing the establishment on King Street when one member of the group, sporting a green hat, broke away from the others.
The man dashed across the road covered in snow and grabbed the wintry decoration before fleeing the scene.
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The snowman had been constructed by regular customers of the pub.
Callum Chadwick, the pub's site manager, reviewed the security footage and described witnessing the unusual incident unfold.
"I watched back the footage and saw these three fellas walking down the street," he said.
"One of them ran over the road, snatched it and then scarpered off up the end of the street."
The snowman was constructed by regular customers of the pub
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The manager confirmed the pub would not be involving police in the matter but expressed confusion over the motivation behind such an act.
"It's obviously not something we'll report to police or anything like that - but we just couldn't understand why someone would want to steal a snowman," he explained.
Mr Chadwick admitted the identity of the perpetrator will likely remain a mystery.
"Who is going to admit stealing a snowman from a pub?" he said.
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The manager confirmed the pub would not be involving the police
|THE POTTER
The man grabbed the wintry decoration before fleeing the scene
|THE POTTER
The establishment responded to the theft by posting the security footage on social media, accompanied by a light-hearted message aimed at the culprit.
"Bold move. Really. Just so you know - we've got CCTV. Yes, it works. Yes, we've watched it. Yes, we've laughed," the pub wrote in their post.
The message continued with a description of Sammy's innocent activities before his disappearance.
"He was minding his own business, spreading joy, not auditioning for Gone in 60 Seconds: Frostbite Edition," they added.
The venue offered the perpetrator an opportunity for a discreet resolution
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The venue offered the perpetrator an opportunity for a discreet resolution.
"Return him quietly. No names. No shame. Or don't... and enjoy being forever known as 'the Person Who Nicked a Snowman'. Your move."
The social media post attracted numerous responses from members of the public, many adopting a similarly jovial approach to the bizarre theft.
One commenter made a reference to the popular animated film Frozen, writing: "He's only having an Olaf."
Another wrote: "Loads of people would have gotten cold feet, he probably just took frosty for a Brrr-ito," they added.
A third person suggested a potential outcome for the stolen decoration. "They're that stupid they'll probably try and sell him on Marketplace," they wrote.
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