Image copyright CBS 6 Image caption At one point the prankster smiled and waved at a door bell camera

Mystery surrounds an incident in which a person wearing a television on their head left TVs on front lawns of local homes in a US community.

According to Virginia police, about 50 to 60 "old school tube televisions that did not appear to be in working order" were discovered on Sunday morning.

Surveillance footage captured by home cameras show the person wearing a TV set on their head during the stunt.

Police suspect a high school prank, and are not investigating further.

Henrico County Police Captain Lauren Hummel told BBC News on Wednesday that a majority of residents who awoke to find a TV outside their house "have just thought it was funny".

She said that most considered it "a nuisance and not a crime" but that for police it is a use of time and resources that could be better spent protecting the community.

The televisions were reported to Henrico County Police, in the suburbs of state capitol Richmond, on Sunday morning.

Each set was placed on porches, yards or front steps of homes, facing towards the front door.

Image copyright CBS 6 Image caption Police collected all of the TVs within an hour

Police have determined that it was "a nuisance and not a crime", said Capt Hummel, who referred to widespread speculation in the community that it was a prank committed by high school seniors.

Door bell cameras captured footage of the person, who turns to the camera - their face obscured by a TV - and waves before walking off.

Although police haven't ruled out charging someone with illegal dumping or littering, they have decided to not investigate it.

"Obviously nobody's called us up and said, 'hey that was so funny, I hope you all enjoyed it'," said Capt Hummel.

The televisions were removed by police, who brought them to a local landfill for recycling.

Image copyright CBS 6

Jim Brooksbank, who found a 13-inch TV on his porch, told WTVR-TV: "It's sort of funny... He wants to be known as the TV Santa Claus, I don't know."

"I feel lucky I got a TV," he added.

Michael Kroll said it's obvious that the pranksters "had way too much time on their hands if they had all these TVs and spread them all over the neighbourhood".

"I think it's funny in some ways. Now, if my whole front yard was covered with TVs, I'd kind of get upset."