In an unusual crime, a thief in Poland allegedly pretended to be a mannequin in a window display before stealing from a shopping center.

The suspect, who is believed to be a 22-year-old man, was caught on CCTV footage first eating in a restaurant before crawling under a store's metal curtain to change into new clothes.

Security staff ultimately saw him and alerted the police, who said the man is also suspected of stealing money from cash tills at another shopping center, as well as trying to steal other items after it closed.

This bizarre case highlights the ingenuity and brazenness of some thieves.