A helicopter camera caught the incident as it unfolded (Picture: Twitter @npaslondon)

A man unsuccessfully tried to evade police by pretending to be a solar panel.

The suspect came up with the not-so-bright idea while on a rooftop in Wandsworth, London.

He lay down and stretched his body by a number of solar panels located nearby.

But a helicopter from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) managed to shed light on the situation.

Police shared the images on Twitter (Picture: @NPASLondon/ Twitter)

Officers later shared a picture on a Twitter where they urged people not to follow in the man’s footsteps.

The NPAS London account wrote: ‘Another burglary suspect located by us attempting to hide on a roof in.

‘Friendly advice for any burglars that use Twitter. Pretending to be solar panel on a roof will not fool us or our camera!!…, you’re welcome!’

The account then shared the picture again with the caption: ‘They’ll never find me if I just lay here and pretend I’m a solar panel! Wrong!!’

A file picture of a police helicopter, similar to which caught the antics of the solar panel suspect (Picture: SWNS)

Criminals have used all manner of items to dodge police in the past.

Everything from a giant 5ft teddy bear and a massive beehive have been unsuccessfully used as hiding places.

One Twitter user also shared his own story in response to the NPAS tweet about the solar panel suspect.

They wrote that he had encountered a criminal ‘who was easily 6’ tall’.

The user continued: ‘He ran into the garden of a house and hid under a doormat. 

‘A normal size doormat. Absolute lemon. He was similarly spotted by 99 and detained.’ 

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Not a very bright idea!