A teenager was stuck on the roof of a covered court after chasing a monkey that stole his phone.

Weerapong Roonruang, 17, had left his handset next to a field to play football with his friends when a curious macaque plucked the gadget and ran away in Chachoengsao, Thailand, on June 14.

Because he also used his phone for school, Weerapong sprinted after the animal and clambered up the beams of the covered court where the monkey had fled.

However, he failed to retrieve the device and was left on the roof around 12ft from the ground.

Rescuers later arrived and used a boom truck to bring the teenager back to the ground.

Weerapong's mum Benjawan Srimuang, 41, said she went looking for her son as he had failed to come home even though it was already dark.

She said: 'When I arrived, I saw my son climbing up onto the roof and trying to reach for the monkey that was holding his phone. My husband called my son's number, and the naughty monkey threw the phone away when it was startled by the vibrations. I then called rescuers for help.'

Weerapong was taken to the Bang Pakong Hospital for treatment.

His phone, which had numerous bite marks and scratches, has also been retrieved and is still functional.