WATCH: Ten-second thieves steal tools just metres away from owners
This is the moment brazen thieves stole £1,400 worth of power tools just metres from where the owners were working.
In a matter of seconds the two hooded culprits were filmed snatching the tools from the drive where the tree surgeons were working in Pinfold Lane, Codsall.
CCTV footage shows one thief slipping and dropping a piece of equipment, before grabbing it again and jumping into a car with the other crook.
WATCH the CCTV footage here:
Steve Millman, the owner of family business Codsall Tree Service, said: "We were using the tools right by them and it was really loud so we couldn't hear them come.
"Just minutes after it happened we turned around and saw they had gone.
"I couldn't believe it, it wasn't until we saw the owner of the house had CCTV and we saw the footage that we believed what had happened.
"I was in shock, it was that quick it was about 10 seconds.
"We have to leave the tools somewhere while we work."
The CCTV clip has since been shared around 2,000 times and viewed by almost 70,000 people on Facebook as the business owner asked for the tools to become 'too hot to handle'.
Mr Millman, aged 60 and from Codsall, added: "People have got quite annoyed by it online and I've had messages from people saying similar things have happened to them.
"At one point earlier I had a problem with a wood chipper and I stopped working and saw them sat opposite on a verge, but I took my eye off them as I assumed they'd gone."
Mr Millman said the getaway car looked like a blue Fiesta-type vehicle.
The incident happened at around 9am on November 23. Anyone with information which could help police should call 101.
