Manchester UK The distinctive criminal - minus most of his front teeth - climbed a bin to steal a CCTV camera from the Trafford Retail Park.
But he seemed oblivious that live footage of the crime was being beamed to a control room.
The recording shows the man struggling to remove the £1,000 camera. He eventually managed to prise it away and escape.
Police have been trying to track down the thief since the raid about a year ago at the Trafford Retail Park near junction 10 of the M60, on the other side of the motorway from the Trafford Centre.
Peel Holdings, which owns the retail park, has now released the footage in the hope that someone might recognise him.
A Peel spokesman said: "The police have so far had no luck in tracing him.
The camera itself was worth about £1,000, and the suspect got away with the equipment after breaking in through fencing and climbing a ladder. Someone must know this man. He's quite distinctive."
