Photo: Contributed

Police in Germany say they had an easy time tracking down a petty thief, after he forgot his own son at the scene of the crime.

Bautzen police said Saturday that the 29-year-old suspect ran off when the five euros ($5,65) worth of goods he was trying to steal triggered an alarm at a supermarket check-out late Friday.

Police said the man's 8-year-old son was left behind “and so the culprit was quickly identified.”

The suspect, a German, also managed to fall over during his escape, ending the day in hospital, police said.