Police Search for Suspect Who Stole Camera Gear From TV Crew Filming on Beach

Police are searching for the shirtless man in this CCTV footage in connection to a camera theft on Brighton seafront. | Image via West Pier Trust

Police are searching for a suspect after camera gear was stolen from a TV crew filming on a popular beach in the U.K.

The camera equipment was reportedly stolen at around 9:40AM on August 4 while the crew was preparing to film on Brighton seafront in Brighton, U.K., a seaside city on England’s south coast.

The incident took place at the headquarters of the charity West Pier Trust on Brighton’s seafront, directly opposite the remains of the historic West Pier. The pier once extended from Brighton beach into the English Channel and was a popular Victorian-era pleasure attraction before being largely destroyed by fires and storms in the early 2000s. The TV crew was preparing to film a segment about the remains of the West Pier.

According to local news outlet The Argus, police are seeking a shirtless man for questioning after camera equipment was allegedly stolen from the crew. One member of the camera crew posted an appeal on Facebook along with CCTV footage recorded inside the office, asking for help identifying the man seen in the footage.

According to the Facebook post shared by the camera operator, the crew was setting up to film on the beach outside when a man entered the West Pier Trust’s office. He appeared to tell the person inside that he wanted to look around before allegedly taking a camera bag containing a Sony camera, lenses and other equipment.

Sussex Police confirmed they are looking for the man in the CCTV footage as part of their investigation. They are currently investigating the incident and have urged anyone with information to come forward.

“Officers have now identified a person of interest they would like to speak with and are working to locate them as part of ongoing enquiries,” Sussex Police writes in a statement. “If you have any information to report relating to the incident, contact police online or by calling 101 quoting reference 203 of 5/08.”

The incident follows a separate case reported by PetaPixel in which Canadian police released photos of a suspect believed to have stolen $20,000 worth of professional camera gear from a parked car.