SHENZHEN - A 38-year-old man has put himself in the running for the title of worst snatch thief - after he unwittingly ran into a police station while fleeing from a woman he had just robbed.

According to local media reports, the man had snatched his victim's mobile phone along a street in the Longgang district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on March 31.

Surveillance footage showed the woman, who was holding an umbrella as it was raining, waiting at a traffic junction.

The man, who had just parked his bicycle nearby, ran towards her and grabbed the phone she was holding in her other hand before taking off.

A chase ensued, with the woman falling in the middle of the road.

With escape close at hand, the man inadvertently sprinted past some gates, which turned out to be the entrance of a police station.

A police officer who was smoking outside stopped the man and took him into custody after hearing of the crime.

An officer, surnamed Kong, told news portal Thepaper.cn: "When he ran into the station, his looked panicky and confused."

"Normally, suspects are quite sly. But this suspect appeared to be unfamiliar with the area, so he ran directly into our police station. This is a very rare occurrence."

It was later revealed that the man had only just arrived in Shenzhen and had yet to find a job or a permanent place to live in.