Police dubbed him the "bungling burglar" after he got stuck in the window of a house during his crime

Pictures taken by amused officers from Greater Manchester Police last December, show Sean Crawshaw with his head wedged in a small bathroom window of the property, around 15 feet above the ground.

The 47-year-old was found by the home's owner, a 60-year-old woman, when she returned to the property in Radcliffe.

The fire brigade had to be called out to free the failed thief — an operation that reportedly took around 20 minutes - injuring Mr Crawshaw's ear in the process.

Mr Crawshaw, who also comes from Radcliffe, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison at a court hearing in January. Greater Manchester Police told The Independent he wasn't known to police previously.

The force posted a photograph of the incident on Twitter on Thursday, in which Mr Crawshaw can be dangling from the upstairs window, accompanied by the caption: “Burglar sentenced after he was ‘framed’.”

Norman Taylor, the community support officer who posted the image, told The Independent: “The homeowner came home — a woman in her sixties — and found this guy dangling 15 feet off the ground with his head stuck in the bathroom window, so she called the police.

“Officers arrived and the fire brigade had to come and get him out. It took 20 minutes, during which he injured his ear.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen this happen. Burglars have got stuck in windows before, but they usually manage to free themselves. We call this guy the bungling burgar.”

Mr Taylor added that the police force decided to share the photo in part “for a laugh”, but also to serve as a warning to the public about burglars in the area.

“We get a bit of fun out of it, but it also serves as a warning. People think that if there are no ladders, burglars can’t get up," Mr Taylor said.