Man's guitar stolen while he sleeps outside Fragrance House

CCTV photos show the man asleep outside Fragrance House in Malvern Link on April 16.

In the shocking footage, another man is seen coming along and taking away his guitar while his victim is asleep.

Philip, as he is known, has been in Malvern for some time, only recently becoming homeless.

He said: "When I woke up, it was gone. I woke up at about half past 11 and the guitar had been taken.

THEFT: CCTV of the guitar being stolen

"I've been going through a bit of a rough patch, and this has made me feel worse on top of that, but I try not to let things affect me too much.

"I've become quite well known performing in the area, so I didn't expect anyone would do something like that."

A post shared on Facebook showed the moment the thief took Philip's guitar.

It said: "Anyone recognise this man? He has tattoos on the back of both legs.

"He thought it was nice to steal the only possession of a homeless man, the guitar he used for busking, on Sunday night at 11.05pm outside Fragrance House in Malvern Link."

Following the news, there was an outpouring of anger from members of the community.

THEFT: Philip's guitar being stolen

Several people offered to replace the guitar or to share the appeal for information to reunite the man, believed to be named Philip, with his prized possession.

Philip, originally from Cape Town in South Africa, thanked the public for their support and offers of a replacement, but said: "I only really need one decent guitar.

"I don't want to start stockpiling guitars or anything.

"I've already had messages from people offering an electric guitar and amp, which is great, as well as a few offering me acoustic guitars, which are probably more suitable for what I need right now."

He added he hoped his story would shine a light on the difficulties faced by homeless people, as well as the abuse many on the streets face daily.