Crook wheeled in

A bungling thief had to be freed by police after becoming trapped trying to steal the wheels from an abandoned car.

The 32-year-old was spotted by two officers on a routine patrol as he crouched beside a parked car on Dunedin's busy Cumberland St in the early hours of yesterday.

Senior sergeant Brian Benn said the machine operator had got his wrist stuck between the body of the car, worth a paltry $200, and one of the wheels. "Stealing cars was definitely not working out for him."

The machine operator told the arresting officers he'd been trapped for 20 minutes after jacking up the car to take the wheels. He is due to appear in court this week.

Benn said the man's wrist was sore but did not not need medical treatment.