Help, there's a thief in my ceiling

CHINA - For months, he wondered how money and things in his home mysteriously disappeared.

Especially since the doors and windows of his flat were always locked and there were no signs of forced entry.

The puzzled home owner in China's Jiangsu province finally called the police, who discovered that a homeless man had been living in a compartment above two flats - the home owner's flat and the unit adjoining his. This had been going on for about three months.

The homeless man had been taking residents' food, cash and cigarettes, reported the South China Morning Post.

He was arrested two weeks ago for stealing more than 2,000 yuan (S$400) while illegally occupying the space.

The man, who is from Jiangxi province, said he found the hidden "attic" after climbing on to a building's rooftop and he slipped in and out of the flats through openings in the ceiling.

The home owner called the police after he went home on May 29 and discovered that the door was locked from the inside, even though no one was in.

The police were baffled until an officer noticed a hole in the kitchen ceiling.

This article was first published on June 11, 2014.
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