A car thief had to call the police to ask for help after he was trapped inside the car he was trying to steal.

Police in Trondheim said the young man, who wasn't identified, called the law enforcement from a car dealership in Norway's third-largest city to say he was "stuck" inside the car.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK said the man was aged 17 and was known to the police for petty crimes, and that it was unclear why the doors of the car, parked outside the shop, had locked.

Police said on Twitter that officers hurried to the scene Monday "to get him out and into detention".

No further details were available.

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