Giant nutcracker theft robs village Christmas cheer

One of the two models was stolen last week

A village has been robbed of some of its Christmas cheer after thieves stole a giant nutcracker model displayed outside a festive house.

Security cameras showed the three-metre-high (10ft) model being taken at about 20:00 GMT from the home in Spaldwick, in Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday.

Doug and Liz Pecarski informed the police and appealed on social media for the return of their nutcracker decoration — a giant soldier inspired by German folklore — one of two proudly standing guard outside.

Mr Pecarski said the theft had "stripped away some of the joy" of Christmas in the village, near Grafham Water.

The couple even wrap their home in a giant festive bow

The couple have been decorating their house both inside and out for a number of years.

This is the third year they have displayed the pair of nutcracker models, which are tethered to the garden wall.

"I clearly watched Home Alone [the Christmas film starring the young Macaulay Culkin] as a child," said Ms Pecarski, explaining her "love of Christmas".

"The community loves it, too," she said.

When their lavish decorations became more well-known, they began fundraising for Woodgreen Pets Charity in Godmanchester, where she is a volunteer.

The theft was captured on CCTV outside their home, in the darkness. A car could be seen arriving and two people apparently managed to release one nutcracker and drag it over the wall to a vehicle.

Mr Pecarski said footage later showed people unsuccessfully attempting to take the second model.

"The sheer strength it required — they're very heavy," Ms Pecarski said.

The couple said they found it hard to believe people could untether it, drag and over the wall and drive off "with a 10ft nutcracker hanging out the back of a car".

Local children left two miniature nutcracker soldiers as a gift for the couple

Mr Pecarski described the theft as "a bit of a gut punch as we do this for charity and joy and they've managed to affect the community in taking it".

"For us it hasn't tempered any of the Christmas joy. Inside the house it's still as wild as ever. But outside, yes, this will affect it."

As a reflection of how much the community appreciates the displays, following the theft the couple "heard some hustle and bustle" and children outside their door, and opened it to find two miniature nutcracker guards had been left on the doorstep with a card saying "we clearly needed two additional guards to protect us and they were sorry to see our loss".

However, Ms Pecarski said they really wanted their full-size one returned or recovered.

"We've got a lonely nutcracker - he wants his mate back," she said.

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the theft had been reported.