Smile guy - you're on criminal camera

A man has been caught on a security camera – stealing it.

He cannot have realised that the camera hard-drive had already stored his image as he ripped it out of the New Plymouth Centre City shopping complex parking booth.

The man's car had been locked into the carpark on Thursday last week and at 11.37pm as he went to retrieve it, he broke into the third-level booth probably intent on finding the key to release the carpark chain.

While in the booth he must have spotted the security camera recording his every move and ripped it out.

Detective Pat Yates said the man must not have realised that the security camera's computer hard drive had retained the footage.

Mr Yates invited anyone who recognised the man to call them.

"All calls will be treated in strict confidence." However, if the man himself was keen to avoid any further embarrassment he could hand himself in – along with the security camera, Mr Yates suggested.