Russians are best known for craving vodka, but when this man woke up from surgery in his local hospital, it was beer he wanted - badly.

Intensive care nurses refused to serve his favourite brew, so he unplugged his drips, evaded security, and walked out of hospital wearing only a sheet to go in search of an off license.

Reports said he was oblivious to the outside temperature in his town of Sayanogorsk - a chilly minus 16C.

But the unnamed patient got no more joy at the liquor store. Staff refused his demand for beer and instead called the police, who arrived minutes later.

Officers escorted him, still wearing the sheet, to a van which drive him back to hospital.

The hospital is now reviewing its security which was supposed to be on high alert because of a flu epidemic in the region.

The man was picked up by police after staff at a nearby liquor store refused his demands for beer

He had braved -16C temperatures wearing just a bedsheet after breaking out of hospital in search of a drink