By Hugh Dunnett, Crime Correspondent

A thief who tried to steal fuel from a motorhome got a shock when he put a hose in his mouth and siphoned off the contents of the toilet instead.

The culprit got a mouthful of the lavatory’s weekend contents rather than the diesel he was expecting to transfer to his container.

It is believed the thief was desperate for fuel after finding all local garages emptied by panic buyers.

Police were called when the owners of the motorhome, which was parked up in a private spot near Bawdsey, awoke to sounds of a man screaming and being sick in the layby outside.

Officers say the thief thought he was inserting one end of the hose through the fuel tank filler cap.

But in the darkness, he put it through the lavatory outlet cap instead.

“I think it’s fair to say he got a bit of a shock when he started sucking on the hose in order to begin the process of syphoning the fuel tank,” Sgt Lorraine Fisher, 34, of Suffolk Police, said.

“He got a load of human waste and chemicals and was sick instantly.

“What makes it worse – if that’s possible – is the couple inside the van had enjoyed a spicy curry and a few beers the day before.”

The couple, who were believed to be holidaying in Suffolk from Warwickshire, grabbed a torch and tried to catch the thief.

But he ran off through woods before police could arrive.

“He may have got away on the night, but we’re sure we’ll get to the bottom of it,” the police spokesman added.

The vehicle owner said: “I had a look around but he had gone. Had I got hold of him, I would have given him a real mouthful.

“People like him deserve everything they get – and he certainly got a taste of his own medicine.”

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers.