An elderly man had this bike taken whilst he was stealing cardboard boxes from outside a hotel in northern China.

CCTV footage filmed in the city of Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province on September 15 shows an elderly man stopping his bike on a road and walking over to the boxes.

However, a man was seen running toward the elderly man’s bike before riding away with it.

After the elderly man took the cardboard boxes, he found that his bike was missing and turned on an electric torch to try to find it.

According to Mr Liu, the hotel owner's friend, the boxes they stored outside always ended up being taken.

The hotel owner checked the surveillance camera and found that it was the same person taking the cardboard boxes away.

They also spotted that the elderly man’s bike was stolen whilst he was in the act of looting the boxes.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

9月15日凌晨，黑龙江牡丹江。一大爷在旅店门口偷纸壳，自己的自行车停在路边。没一会儿，一小偷走近将大爷的自行车骑走。等大爷偷完纸壳准备离开时才发现自己自行车不见了。大爷赶忙放下纸壳子，打开手电筒转圈找车，最终也没找到只好离开。
知情人刘先生称，他朋友是开旅店，门口的纸壳子经常丢失，调监控查看都是同一人拿走的，大爷每次不多偷，每天偷几张，不值钱也就没去追究。 结果当天他查看监控，才发现偷纸壳的人也被偷了。据了解，大爷并没有因为自行车丢了去报警。（视频由黑龙江台提供）