A dramatic video has emerged from China of a thief surrendering to police after being trapped on an air conditioning unit outside a building for 60 hours.

In the footage, filmed in Guangdong Province on Tuesday 31 March, the man can be seen sitting on the unit, three storeys off the ground.

According to local news reports, the man was allegedly discovered stealing wires at around 3:00am on Sunday, when he climbed onto the air conditioning unit to try and evade capture.

He rejected offers of food and only drank a bottle of water handed to him by a resident during his 60-hour stalemate.

At around 3:30pm on Tuesday, after experiencing muscle cramps in his legs, the man finally accepted help to return to the building.

According to police, the man is a known wire thief who has tried to hurt himself to avoid arrest on two separate occasions. He is currently in custody for theft.

A dramatic video has emerged from China of a thief surrendering to police after being trapped on an air conditioning unit outside a building for 60 hours.

In the footage, filmed in Guangdong Province on Tuesday 31 March, the man can be seen sitting on the unit, three storeys off the ground.

According to local news reports, the man was allegedly discovered stealing wires at around 3:00am on Sunday, when he climbed onto the air conditioning unit to try and evade capture.

He rejected offers of food and only drank a bottle of water handed to him by a resident during his 60-hour stalemate.

At around 3:30pm on Tuesday, after experiencing muscle cramps in his legs, the man finally accepted help to return to the building.

According to police, the man is a known wire thief who has tried to hurt himself to avoid arrest on two separate occasions. He is currently in custody for theft.