Odd News

Shoe size mix-up costs thief dear

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-09-08 21:42

BERLIN - A bungling German thief stole a pair of shoes in two different sizes and was caught when he went back to the shop to fix his mistake -- decked out in the very clothes he had stolen, authorities said on Friday.

Police in the western city of Bielefeld said the shop owner recognised the 20-year-old shoplifter because the white shoes and sports jacket he wore were available only in his shop, and had been stolen just two days earlier.

"You have to wonder why he went back into the shop in the stolen get-up," said a spokeswoman for Bielefeld police. "It seems he may not have been the brightest of thieves."

The owner spotted the man as he attempted to switch of the wrong-sized shoe and alerted police, who arrested the thief.