[MargaretR]

On Friday night, sometime between 11 and 12, I heard the sound of a vehicle engine running outside on the road.
It is normally deathly quiet at nights where I live, so I looked out the window.

There was a white lorry parked with its engine running. I saw a man throw something square onto the back of the lorry - it landed with a very loud thud - then he drove off.

I often see lorries and tractors delivering stuff to the allotments, but not at night.
I only twigged what he was up to 2 hours later when reading the Observer online.

He had stolen a gutter drain cover.
Folk told to watch their step after manhole thefts - News - Accrington Observer

I rang the police at 1.30am to tell them what I had seen.
The lorry was the same sort that had towed away the caravan wreck that had been parked on the road for 4 months ---- 'travelling scum'.