A man has reportedly been caught on camera stealing a bat which was placed outside the Sydney Cricket Ground to honour the memory of Australia batsman Phil Hughes, who died last week.
Tributes have been paid all over the world after Hughes passed away at the age of 25, just two days after getting struck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match.
Many have opted to use cricket bats to honour the sportsman after the #putoutyourbats campaign went viral on social media.
However, it appears that some have decided to abuse the kindness of others by stealing bats laid out in tribute.
A video has emerged of one thief swiping a bat from outside the SCG, where Hughes collapsed before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where he eventually lost his life.
"It just doesn't make sense," Eurosport quotes New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione as saying. "As Australian as the game of cricket is, stealing someone's bat is as un-Australian as it can get."
Hughes was laid to rest in his hometown of Macksville this morning in a funeral that was attended by 5,000 people.
Danielle Joynson
