- Justin Thomas’ daughter had her pumpkin taken from their home in Blean, Kent
This is the moment a delivery driver was caught on camera appearing to steal a three-year-old girl’s pumpkin while delivering an Amazon package.
The pumpkin, which belonged to Justin Thomas’ daughter Lillianna-Rose, was hidden behind the wall at the front of their home in Blean, Kent.
After picking it up from a vegetable garden, the pumpkin was kept outside until Lillianna-Rose was ready to carve it for Halloween, but it was snatched before she had the chance.
Mr Thomas, 33, explained that an Amazon package was delivered to his home on Saturday while he was away. The next day he noticed the pumpkin was missing and after checking his cameras, he discovered it had been taken by the delivery person.
Footage shows the driver driving a van and delivering the package before loading the pumpkin into the back of the vehicle.
The delivery man was caught on camera arriving at Justin Thomas’ home while he was away on Saturday. Images show the driver pulling up in a van and delivering the package
He then opens the van door before appearing to look around to see if anyone nearby is watching him
The driver then appears to load the pumpkin into the back of the vehicle and quickly drives away
Mr Thomas said: ‘My daughter, as a three-year-old, picked the biggest pumpkin she could find.
“Instead of keeping it inside where it could be funny, we left it outside behind the wall so no one could see it. We thought we could bring it back inside before Halloween so she could carve it.
‘On Saturday I received an email that a package had been delivered and left behind the wall. When I got home it was raining, so I grabbed the package and took my youngest daughter inside.
‘It wasn’t until I went downstairs the next morning that I noticed the pumpkin was gone. I looked at the cameras again to see if anyone was lurking and discovered it was the delivery person.”
Lillianna-Rose’s uncle has since replaced the pumpkin to spare her the disappointment, but Mr Thomas says it’s not about the fact it was just a pumpkin.
He said: ‘We told her it had shrunk because the new pumpkin is a bit smaller. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that a man had stolen it.
“I know it’s just a pumpkin, but that’s not the point, it shouldn’t have happened. What if it’s something different next time?’
Mr Thomas reported the incident to Amazon, who apologized to the father-of-two.
The company has launched an investigation into the incident and has also offered Mr Thomas a £20 refund and a £25 gift voucher as a gesture of goodwill.
An Amazon spokesperson said: ‘We are investigating this with our delivery service and we are in direct contact with the customer.’
Although he is happy with their response, Mr Thomas, a garbage collector, says it has put him off ordering from Amazon again in case the driver returns.
He added: ‘They said they will investigate what happened but they cannot keep me informed due to data protection.
‘I understand that, but I want to know if this driver is still visiting people’s houses. “I would hate to see someone lose their job so close to Christmas, but this shouldn’t happen.”
The theft was reported to the police.
A police spokesperson said: ‘Officers received a report that a pumpkin had been taken from outside a property on Tyler Hill Road, Blean. It is said to have occurred on Saturday around 4.40pm.”