Australian thief uses fishing rod to steal Versace necklace Published duration 4 March

image copyright Victoria Police image caption Victoria Police described the fishing-rod theft as "fairly blatant" and "quite bold"

Australian police are attempting to catch a thief who used a fishing rod to steal a Versace necklace from a high-end designer store in Melbourne.

The thief was caught on CCTV trying to hook the A$800 (US$529; £414) jewellery off a mannequin's neck.

He poked the rod through a hole he chipped in the store's window without setting off the alarm, police said.

Using two rods, the thief took three hours to land his catch, reeling in the necklace at about 02:00 on 24 February.

Steven Adigrati, owner of the Le Style boutique, told local media he was stunned by the "outrageous and courageous" theft.

"I couldn't believe it," Mr Adigrati told Nine News . "Three-and-a-half hours, with two rods, trying to get this necklace, was amazing. Hook, line, and sinker, I guess. He did it."

Mr Adigrati said the thief probably did not know the value of the necklace, described as a gold Medusa medallion.

"This particular necklace looks a lot more expensive than what it is, so obviously the temptation was there: gold, bright, iconic Medusa head, so that would have been the temptation," he told ABC News

A CCTV video of the thief's unusual fishing expedition has been shared to Twitter by Victoria Police.

In it, the man looks around sheepishly before angling his rod towards the store display through a hole in its window.

Senior constable Bede Whitty said she had never seen anyone commit a burglary with a fishing rod before.

"It's fairly blatant and it's quite bold as well, to have someone attend with a fishing rod in the middle of the night," Mr Whitty said.

Appealing for more information, police described the man as white, aged between 40 and 50, about 180cm (5ft 11in) tall, with short, receding hair.

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media caption Security camera footage showed figures with torches and tools smashing one of the cabinets