A one-armed British man is being hunted by police for stealing a single cufflink.

The thief pretended to be looking for a gift for his mother before knocking a box of cufflinks to the floor, and then making off with one in the shape of a boxing glove.

The gold cufflink, which is worth $187, was stolen from a jewellery store in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and police have since released Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of him in the hope he will be caught.

Shop assistant Sally Ann Manthorp said: "It wasn't until we watched the CCTV we saw he had an empty sleeve tucked in his pocket."

The thief is described as white, bald, wearing a dirty navy blue bomber jacket and blue jeans.