SMILE - you've been caught stealing the camera! Stourport's silliest criminal and his mates filmed themselves on CCTV seconds before the camera was wrenched from the wall of a High Street shop.

And their other big mistake was the choice of shop - a dry cleaners run by Brian Glass, who has a special interest in catching crooks.

He is a Wyre Forest district councillor, portfolio holder for the crime and disorder reduction partnership and the chairman of both Shop Watch and the Community Safety Partnership.

"They were either drunk or just dumb," said Mr Glass, who spent £1,000 on his security system. "They might have thought the camera was a dummy or that the film was inside it. But it was all being recorded inside the building."

Mr Glass passed the video to the police, who are investigating the incident which took place just after 11pm on Friday. one of the men, left, takes a run-up to get at the camera.

He said the tape shows four young men approaching his shop, Mr Cleancalls, and looking at the camera three metres up on the wall. One of them then climbs up onto a BT cabinet.

"In the next shot his arm is in front of the lens and then he points it down at his three friends.

"They give a bit of a performance, laughing and waving and making gestures and then the camera goes off as it's pulled from the wall," Mr Glass said.

The camera has not been found. the other three are caught on tape.

Security in Stourport has been stepped up with the introduction of Shop Watch, a walkie-talkie link involving around 20 shopkeepers. Mr Glass put up the camera about eight months ago as part of the Shop Watch scheme and with the help of the town's business association.

"I want the names of the people who stole my camera," he said. "It cost £1,000 and I want the perpetrators brought to justice."

He added: "I am hopeful because I undertand the police have circulated the pictures to all officers in Stourport."

Insp Jim Baker, of Kidderminster Police, said: "We are appealing for any witnesses to the incident and for the four individuals to come forward to provide details and help give explanations to what happened.

"Our inquiries are continuing - we have CCTV footage of the incident - and we are hoping to resolve it very shortly."

He added: "The camera provided very good images which we are working with to help us identify the offenders."

Anyone with information should contact Kidderminster Police on 01562 820888.