AN ALLEGED thief walked up to a couple's home in York Road, in Southend, and made off with an antique chimney pot worth hundreds of pounds.

The home was occupied at the time and a car can be clearly seen on the driveway.

CCTV shows the man walk up to the home and take a look around before the alleged theft

He then sits down as if he is looking for something, then picks up the chimney pot and makes off down the road...

The victim of the missing pot said: "My wife was coming home from picking up the kids and noticed one of the chimney pots was missing.

"She called me straight away and asked where it had gone, and I told her to check the cameras.

"That is when she saw this man walk up to our house while my wife was in at the time - you can see her car on the drive - and he sits down like he is looking for something before taking the chimney pot.

"It instantly feels like a violation, that someone can just walk up to your house and do that so brazenly.

"It is worrying as the house wasn't empty."

A spokesperson for Essex Police, said: "We are investigating following the theft of a large antique chimney pot from an address in York Road, Southend at around 6.40pm on February 14.

"If you have any information about the incident please contact us on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/25269/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."