TOKYO - Police found more than 4,000 pieces of lingerie in the home of a Japanese construction worker who used climbing skills developed on his job to steal women's underwear.

4,400 pieces of women's underwear stolen by a construction worker are displayed by police in Hiroshima, western Japan, March 13, 2007. [Reuters]

 Police believe that Shigeo Kodama, 54, amassed the 3,977 panties, 355 bras and 10 pairs of stockings over a six-year period. He was arrested in February after he stole underwear from two houses, and police later raided his home.

"Since he was a construction worker, as long as he had a place to put his feet he was able to climb, so he had no trouble getting up to the second floor of apartment buildings," a police spokesman in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima said.

"He didn't steal any other kinds of clothing. But as long as it was underwear, apparently anything would do," the spokesman added.