Police find bungling robber trapped in shop window

Gendarmes could not help laughing when they got a call-out to a suspected robbery in a south-west shop – because the hapless robber was stuck in the window.

The 45-year-old man had smashed a hole in the window of the jewellery shop and climbed in to rob it – but could not get back out again.

He was trapped after managing to get his head and upper body out of the hole but could not move after that.

Police had been called to the shop in Mauléon, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, earlier the same night but the robber had fled and they were then called back several hours later by a neighbour to find the man jammed solid.

Pompiers had to be called to make the hole in the window bigger to get him free.

The man was drunk and slept it off in the cells but when his home was searched by police they discovered some of the proceeds from his earlier break-in including clothing, jewels, bags… and two mannequin arms and a curly brunette wig.

The gendarmes published photos of the man – with his face obscured – on their Twitter feed and also showed the pompiers freeing the man on their Facebook page.

He will appear in court this afternoon.