Brazen ‘thief’ is caught on camera ‘stealing’ Gazebo from man’s front garden that he uses at fundraisers for mental health charity

This is the moment a man was caught taking a Gazebo used at fundraisers for a mental health charity from a front garden.

CCTV footage shows the man walking down the street in Gillingham, Kent, alongside two young children.

He can be seen entering the garden and lifting the chained up gazebo, leaving one leg behind.

Stuart Whibley, 50, noticed his gazebo was missing on Thursday when he checked his home CCTV, and was shocked to see what had happened.

He and his wife Sherry use the gazebo to host seasonal charity events to raise money for mental health charity Mind UK and Cancer Research.

Stuart, from Gillingham, Kent, said: ‘It’s a complete and utter nightmare.

‘My wife and I were both inside the house on Wednesday when the it happened but neither of us heard anything.

‘I just can’t understand why someone wouldn’t even knock on the door to ask if it was scrap or something.

‘They didn’t even notice one of the legs was chained down, so they left without one of the legs. It can’t even really be used like that.’

Stuart and Sherry have run the charity events for the past five years, but getting the 4×4 gazebo last year meant they could go the extra mile.

They used the gazebo for two events – Halloween and Christmas – with the former bringing in £220 for Mind UK.

Stuart said: ‘It’s not going to be the same now we don’t have the gazebo to extend the decorations out onto the floor.

‘For Halloween last year, we had a walkway which turned into a maze through the gazebo.

‘My wife and I have both struggled with mental health issues, which is why it means so much for us to help out the charity like this.

‘Without the gazebo, the events are going to have to be a lot smaller.’

Stuart reported the incident to the police.