A hapless Christmas-present thief in France's central Loire region spent the festive season behind bars after leaving his mobile phone at the scene of the crime and going to the police to report it lost.

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A thief who stole a family’s Christmas presents was arrested when he went to report the loss of his mobile phone – which he had left in his victims’ car by mistake.

The 20-year-old man, who has not been named by police, spotted an unlocked and unattended car brimming with colourfully-wrapped presents.

He decided he would help himself. But while removing the gifts, he left his mobile phone on the dashboard of his victims’ car.

It was the first of two fatal Christmas Eve mistakes that would see the young man spend the festive season in a prison cell at Roanne, in the central Loire region of France.

Once he got home with his stash of stolen presents, he realised his mobile phone was missing.

To get a new one on his insurance policy, the loss had to be reported at a local police station, which the thief diligently set off to do.

Unfortunately for him, his victims, a young couple, were at the same station reporting the theft.

They had also given the police the vital piece of evidence – his mobile phone – and the thief was arrested on the spot.

Happily for the couple and their children, all the presents were recovered and a family Christmas was saved from disaster.

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