A family has been left "heartbroken" after a thief was filmed stealing a 20ft high inflatable Santa from a charity display at their home."

Dad Dean Thomas, 32, called the theft "disgusting" after a woman was caught on CCTV sneaking onto his driveway and taking the £800 outdoor decoration."

He and his wife, Rachel Thomas 32, along with their kids, Ella, seven, Ava, four, and Noah, two, have decked out their end terrace home in Blackpool, Lancs., for 11 years.

And they had one of their ‘biggest ever' switch-on events on Friday (Nov 15) as they did their best to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance.

But just two days later, on Sunday at 11.20pm, a woman smoking a cigarette was filmed sneaking onto his driveway and pinching the giant Santa.

Dean said his tearful eldest daughter Ella had endured sleepless nights following the theft as she feared that the culprit would return to rob her home again.

He said: "It's just horrendous and disgusting. It's all for charity. You can't miss the sign for the charity at all. It's a big banner."

"It really is heartbreaking. My daughter Ella, I took her to school his morning, and we mentioned it to her teachers, and she just broke down crying."

"She won't sleep by herself now because she thinks the woman's going to come back and take more and burgle my house."



"The woman needs to realise what she's done and what she's put myself, my wife and my kids through."

School caretaker Dean said he puts on his incredible display every year, on Condor Grove, to both raise money and help the community enjoy a bit of festive cheer.

And he said he was blown away by this year's switch-on event - with crowds staying to around 9pm to see the amazing Christmas-themed extravaganza.

But just two days later, while they were asleep, a brazen woman walked onto his drive and began rummaging around in the display.

Dean said she broke a smaller animatronic singing Santa and two dancing reindeer figures while first attempting to pilfer them.

And she then picked up the deflated 20ft Santa decoration and appeared to bring it to a car that pulled up outside the house as she was leaving.

Dean said: "We had our big switch on last Friday. And it was an absolutely amazing night. It's the biggest turnout I've had in 11 years. "

"I had a band and an ice cream van outside my house."

"Then between 11.20pm and 11.30pm on Sunday night, the woman has opened my driveway gates."

"She has got into where my very rare carol singers are, she's pushed all them over, broken a singing Santa and two dancing reindeer... But she couldn't get them out."

"Then she's taken my 20ft inflatable Santa."

Dean has been left despondent about the theft and said he would stop putting on his display in the years to come following it.

He also planned to purchase further home security measures to protect his family.

Dean went on: "I'm going to leave it up until boxing day and that's it, it won't be coming back out in the next four years."

"And I'm going to buy more cameras and alarms and lasers for my garden."

"I've always had cameras on my house but I shouldn't have to go to the extent where I need more."

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "A report of theft of an inflatable Santa from a garden of a house on Condor Grove, Blackpool, was made to us on 18th November. "

"It is being investigated. Anyone with information, please call 101, quoting log 0150 of 18th November 2024."