The man was caught in the act by residents as he climbed up the side of a block of flats in Laburnum Road, Wecock, where his antics were caught on CCTV.

The man, said to be in his late 20s or early 30s, had ripped the copper overflow pipes off the side of the bedsits when he was challenged by a resident who could hear the sound of sawing, just after 2am on Monday.

Colin Chaldecott was wearing just his pyjama bottoms when he approached the man to ask what he was doing.

Mr Chaldecott, a 41-year-old cleaner, said: 'I asked him what he was up to and he just replied "what do you think I'm up to?"

Mr Chaldecott went back inside to call the police who were already on their way after another resident had spotted the man and an associate, but when he went back outside they had run off.

A spokesman for Guinness Hermitage, the housing association which owns the property, confirmed copper piping in its homes and shops in Mill Road, Cunningham Road and Charles Close were also targeted the same night.

The bill to replace the material is expected to run into thousands of pounds.

Laburnum Road resident Bob Reed's CCTV picked everything up and police are studying the footage closely.

Mr Reed, 61, said: 'I want that person caught and made to pay for what he has done. Imagine if the overflow pipe was so badly bent where he was pulling it about that it caused damage to a boiler and it exploded. Then where would we be?'

Neil Miller, a spokesman for Waterlooville police, said officers had launched an investigation and were pursuing enquiries.