A bungling burglar who tried to rob a church has been found dead and hanging from the roof by shocked parishioners arriving for a Sunday evening service yesterday.

The would-be burglar was found dead, having apparently accidentally hanged himself while trying to go through the ceiling of the church kitchen on Araca Street in the neighbourhood of Morada Verde in Campo Grande, the capital of the west-central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, on the evening of Sunday, 20th February.

The thief, who has not yet been identified by investigators, is thought to have cut through a wire fence surrounding the church before attempting to access the building through the roof of an adjacent kitchen.

But his attempts were in vain, as he became stuck and eventually died by hanging.

A photograph shows his corpse dangling from the corrugated steel roof, with his left arm hanging limply at his side, while his right arm appears to be located through a hole that also obstructs his head from view.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene before experts were called in to assess the situation and remove the body.

A backpack containing tools and a knife were found as well, according to the police.

It is currently unclear what the thief was trying to steal and what items of value the church houses.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.