Moment grinning man strolls off with £1.2million BUCKET OF GOLD after stealing it from armoured truck in street

Police released the startling footage of the man lifting up the 6st aluminium bucket containing gold flakes

Startling CCTV footage captures the moment a man brazenly swipes a bucket of gold worth £1.2 MILLION from the back of a truck parked on a busy street before racing off. The man is seen hauling the 6st bucket off the back of the armoured truck as it is parked up in New York.

Security cameras catch the man walking past the white Loomis van - which was parked in Midtown on September 29 - a number of times, seemingly scoping the situation out.  With a bag hung over one shoulder, he then wanders up to the back of the truck as it's rear lays open and begins looking inside.

The man was seen wandering around a number of times

He notices the back of the truck is open

He then grabs the heavy bucket containing gold flakes, lifts it up into his arms and begins speed walking away from the area. Further cameras then catch him in other parts of the city, where he appears to be more relaxed and walking calmly.

Officers from the NYPD released the footage in the hope of tracking down the man - who has not been found since the crime was committed more than two months ago.

He spots the bucket and then picks it up

The bucket contained gold flakes and weighed 6stone

The gold flakes, worth $1.6 million in US money, were bound for Ontario when they were swiped from a seemingly unprotected van.  It is thought the two guards had gone into a nearby building for another pick-up when the theft happened at around 4.30pm.

After swiping the bucket he quickly made his getaway

The suspect was caught on cameras all the way to Sixth Avenue - where he disappeared and has not been seen since.

The NYPD is still looking for the thief. He is described as a Hispanic male who is about 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds and between 50 and 60 years old.