This is the hilarious moment a hapless shoplifter fell through the ROOF of a supermarket as he tried to make his getaway.

Comical CCTV footage shows the bungling crook crashing back down to earth with a bump after he was caught pinching from the Aldi store.

Police were called to the supermarket in Kidderminster, Worcs, on Sunday morning (29/7) after staff members detained the suspect following his painful fall.

The man had earlier been caught stealing but after asking to use the store's toilet he tried to make his daring escape through the loft space.

Security cameras then captured the moment he plummeted around 10ft (3m) to the shop floor just as one worker moves a shocked customer out of the way.

The staff member then pins the thief against the wall until officers arrived at the scene on Green Street, in the town centre, to arrest the man.

Kidderminster Police posted a video clip of the botched escape on Twitter and wrote: "The getaway techniques of our shoplifters this morning could do with a little work.... No one injured – just a little surprised!"

Staff inside the supermarket told cops they knew the crook was inside the loft as they heard someone "scurrying around like a hamster".

Pc Andy Forbes, from West Mercia Police, said: "We have no idea what he thought he could do or how he could get out.

"Eventually he falls through the ceiling while he's trying to make his escape.

"The staff knew he was in the loft space as they could hear him scurrying around like a little hamster.

"Thankfully no one was injured, including him, and the staff at the store did a great job of moving customers out of the way.

"Obviously it is quite serious and humorous footage. It is certainly not something that happens on a daily basis.

"We just want to ask residents and shoppers to be vigilant of any suspicious behaviour.

"We want people to report incidents of shoplifting to us through the usual channels."

A spokesman for the Kidderminster Aldi store said they would not be commenting on the incident.