Vandals took apart dozens of supermarket trolleys in the mistaken belief they contained £1 coins.
The would-be thieves targeted 83 shopping carts at Lidl's supermarket on Essington Way in Peterlee, County Durham, in the early hours of Tuesday.
They took apart the handles of each trolley before stacking them in a neat pile in a black bin bag left nearby.
Police believe they did not realise the £1 coins are returned when shoppers take the trolleys back.
Although roads would have been quiet between 0100 and 0330 GMT, police are hoping passers-by or any drivers using Essington Way would have noticed activity in the supermarket's car park.
A Durham Police spokesman said: "We can only guess that those responsible have never used a supermarket trolley before, otherwise they would know where the money goes."
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