Dimwit

A hapless German thief snapped his credit card in two while prying open a lock, inadvertently leaving behind his name and account details for police.

"He tried to copy what he'd seen them do on television, but the flat owner woke up and the criminal ran away," a police spokesman said.

"The victim called up and read us the details off the card.

"When we got round to the burglar's house, the other half of his credit card was sitting on his kitchen table."

The 29-year-old burglar was trying to open the door to his neighbour's flat in Moenchengladbach in western Germany, police said.