In a quirky turn of events, a man who drunkenly swiped a plant pot from a pub in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, decided to make amends with an apology card and £20.

The thief, now dubbed the ‘Flower Pot Bandit,’ was caught on CCTV making off with an artificial plant from Northern Monkey pub, leaving the staff both shocked and amused by his boldness.

A Drunken Act of Mischief

Kevin Barber, the 55-year-old owner of Northern Monkey, had just placed a beautifully lit-up plant pot on an outdoor table when a regular customer, who had been drinking there all day, made a bold move.

CCTV footage captured the man casually taking the plant pot and walking away without a care in the world.

Barber was taken aback by how brazen the theft was, as the thief didn’t even attempt to hide his actions.

As the pub staff watched in disbelief, the man returned minutes later, grabbed another plant pot, and left again—still unbothered.

When Barber reviewed the footage, he couldn’t help but find humor in the situation.

He knew the thief was clearly drunk and didn’t take the incident too seriously.

The Remorseful Thief’s Apology

Five days later, a surprising turn of events unfolded.

Barber’s team received an envelope with a heartfelt apology card from the thief, along with £20.

The note read: “I’m so sorry for the loss of your light-up table display. I may have had one too many of your lovely beers.

If I could return it, I would, but I’m not sure where it ended up. I hope the money compensates for your loss.”

It concluded with a promise: “P.S. I promise not to do it again.”

Barber, rather than feeling anger, found the entire situation “hilarious” and even took the opportunity to add a touch of humor by requesting his brewers create a new beer inspired by the ‘Flower Pot Bandit.’

A New Beer Inspired by the Bandit

The story quickly became a sensation in town, with people rallying behind the pub’s lighthearted response.

Northern Monkey decided to brew a new IPA called “The Flower Pot Bandit,” boasting a zesty 5% alcohol content.

It wasn’t just the pub’s staff that embraced the idea—locals joined in on the fun, and the entire community helped bring the brew to life.

Barber, who believed the thief had been drinking one of their stronger beers, decided against reporting the incident to the police.

After all, replacing the £8 plant pot wasn’t a huge burden.

Instead, he placed the £20 compensation in the staff’s tip jar.

“I didn’t want to cause a big problem for the guy,” Barber said. “We’ve all had a drink and made a silly mistake.”

The Endearing Story Turns Into a Laughing Matter

The entire situation became an endearing tale that Barber and his staff could laugh about.

“The bottom line is, we’ve all had a drink and pinched a glass,” he said.

“It wasn’t a big deal, but now we have this funny story and a new beer to boot.”

Of course, Barber also joked about the potential for more plant pots to go missing in the future.

“We don’t want people to think this is now an excuse to steal our plant pots,” he laughed.

As for the thief, he remains anonymous, but his act of remorse has certainly made for an unforgettable story.

“Flower Pot Bandit” has already become a legend in the pub, and one can only wonder if more unusual stories are yet to come.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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