A man who managed to become locked in a shop’s beer fridge spent several hours drinking its contents before being let out.

The 38-year-old said “he just wanted beer” when questioned by police who later charged him with retail theft.

The man from Marshfield Wisconsin entered the Kwik Trip convenience store and became trapped at around 11.50pm.

He was then let out by another customer at around 6am the following morning when he simply walked out of the shop.

According to USA Today Network – Wisconsin, the man told police he decided he might as well just stay inside the cooler and drink the beer.

The cooler reportedly has a glass door and, if the man had knocked, employees would have heard him and let him out.

A customer told Kwik Trip employees the man was inside the cooler at 5:50am Wednesday.

The employees opened the door and the man left without paying for the beer, according to the report.

He reportedly drank an 18-ounce bottle of beer and three cans of malt beverage as well as knocking over a stack of 30-can beer packs and breaking three of the cases open.