A BEDFORD resident has found a unique way to deter sticky fingered thieves with a taste for paw paws.
Sick of his nearly ripe fruit being stolen, the man who asked not to be named, caught the fruit thieves on video.
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READ NOWThe pair had taken six paw paw before the homeowner came up with a cunning plan.
Taking matters into his own hands he took a screenshot from the video of the pair and stuck the picture on the tree.
One of the cheeky fruit thieves returned to the scene of the crime to take what was left.
This time he came farmed with a Woolworth’s bag, but was deterred when he saw his own face looking back at him.
The homeowner said the fruit thieves had to walk 20 metres down his driveway to access the paw paw.
He said his wife uses a wheelchair and found it distressing that strangers were coming on to their property.
In Australia, trespassing laws mean what the pair are doing is illegal.
Users in the WA Gardeners Facebook group also agreed the activity was morally reprehensible.
“Why cant people knock on a door and ASK could they have one instead of helping themselves…they could be pleasantly surprised,” one user wrote.
“Haha, that worked a treat. Maybe I should put pictures of cockatoos and parrots in my trees, it might stop them too. People like that have no shame,” another user quipped.
“Why don’t you set up a hose/sprinkler near the tree and turn it on him?” another suggested.
The homeowner said he is looking at investing in security gates.