PENSIONERS were heartbroken after yobs stole £300 of Christmas decorations from outside their house.

Thieves took a 4ft snowman, a 4ft Father Christmas and a 3ft model of the big man climbing into a chimney, from the front garden of a house in Font Close, Laindon.

Homeowner Alan Richmond, 67, has been putting the festive characters in his garden to amuse local schoolchildren for about six years.

He said the theft has put him off decorating his garden in future.

He said: “The children cut through our road to get to the Phoenix School, in Leinster Road, so we used to put the decorations up for them.

“The people who took these characters are just absolute scum.”

Mr Richmond and his wife went to bed at about 10.30pm on Thursday.

When their grandaughter arrived home half-an-hour later, at 11pm, the decorations, worth about £289, had vanished.

Mr Richmond said: “We think the thieves must have been watching the house and waiting for when we turned the lights out.

“When we came down the next morning, we found whoever had taken them, had cut all the wires and just lifted them out the garden.

“The strange thing is we did not hear anything.

“I just want to warn other people in the area to be vigilant.

“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

A spokesman from Essex Police, said: “Police are appealing for witnesses following the theft of Christmas ornaments from a garden in Font Close, Laindon.

“They were stolen between 10.30pm and 11pm on December 5.

“Anyone with information is asked to call Essex Police on 101.”