A man who broke into a bank in Germany to barbecue chicken is facing up to five years in jail for arson.

Police in the city of Goerlitz, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, found the 36-year-old Tunisian native had been trying to grill the chicken in a bonfire he had started with bank deposit slips.

The floor of the Volksbank branch located on Elisabethstrasse, say police, was damaged in the impromptu cookout in the morning of Sunday, 5th January.

Police spokesperson Marcel Malchow said: “However, there was a small amount of fire damage.”

Experts estimated that the floor repair will cost approximately EUR 800 (GBP 713).

After he was caught, the 36-year-old man was taken to the police station for a drug test which confirmed that he had taken amphetamines.

The substance is commonly used as a recreational drug as it causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria, change in desire for sex, increased wakefulness, and improved cognitive control.

It additionally induces physical effects such as improved reaction time, fatigue resistance, and increased muscle strength

Police charged the suspect with arson, property damage and violation of the German Narcotic Drugs Act before he was released.

Under German law, defendants found guilty of arson face up to five years in jail or a fine.

Goerlitz police are investigating the case.