Residents fed up with plant thieves targeting homes are turning to social media to help identify the culprits.
A man was filmed at 3am on a Monday, armed with a hand saw, cutting down a tree on Bowen Tce in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Footage shows him dragging the tree along the footpath.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Midnight plant bandits caught on CCTV
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On a different night, a woman in a bucket hat was seen targeting a dwarf pine, ripping it out by the roots at the same street corner.
“You can’t just be stealing people’s plants and running off with them,” homeowner Sandi said, adding the thefts are not new.
“It’s not the first time our plants have been stolen. Four others have gone missing.
“So we replaced them, and then they disappear.
“They are expensive.”
CCTV shows man cutting down a tree at 3am on Bowen Terrace. Credit: 7NEWS A woman in a bucket hat filmed ripping a dwarf pine from the street. Credit: 7NEWS She told 7NEWS even artificial plants were targeted, saying she saw a woman cutting off fake olive tree branches and flowers.
Authorities say theft from public spaces may be a police matter depending on the council.
On the Gold Coast, it is considered a breach of local laws. Offenders can face fines of up to $834.
“Take a cutting, that’s fine. Don’t rip the whole tree out by the roots and just merrily walk down the street.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the thefts to come forward.