Moment bungling criminal tries to rob shop with toy gun while drunk – before falling over counter in bid to get vodka

A bungling criminal with a toy gun was caught on CCTV trying to rob a shop while drunk before falling over a counter while reaching for vodka.

The masked thief was caught staging his steal in Turuntayevo, in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, on Monday.

Security camera footage captured the clumsy criminal walking into the store holding a fake firearm as he pointed it towards the counter.

As he paces over menacingly, he can be seen fiddling nervously with his balaclava while aiming the gun towards the alcohol shelf in front of him.

But as he reaches for a bottle vodka he has set his eyes on, he starts to wobble before completely toppling head first over the counter.

Half of his body is hilariously seen hanging over the desk next to a lollipop stand as he pushes himself further over the counter, reaching out his hands in an attempt to grab the bottle.

Suddenly his legs lose balance and get flung into the air, putting the thief in an almost handstand position as his gun falls to the ground.

As he struggles to get himself back into an upright position a baffled customer can be seen walking in behind him.

But the thief has achieved his mission, as a bottle of liquor can be spotted gripped firmly in his hand.

The customer continues to watch the man struggle to get back up from his horizontal position, as he kicks his lags in the air and squirms on the counter.

After a few more moments of the thief being stuck while knocking items off the counter, the customer runs out of the shop , leaving the masked man face-down behind the shop front.

According to local reports of the incident, the thief managed to escape the shop with the bottle of vodka but was later tracked down by police where he was caught drinking his loot.   

He was arrested while the gun was seized and authorities confirmed it was fake.