The Shanghai Public Security Bureau has released footage from a CCTV tape showing two thieves who got it all wrong.

The two men are seen approaching the building before one man takes his first attempt at smashing the storefront open with a brick.

The brick appears to bounce off the building and onto the ground, sending one of the thieves scurrying over to fetch it.

Following his lead, within seconds, the other man hurls a brick in the same direction which hits his accomplice in the head.

The brick-throwing burglar can be seen hoisting his partner's limp body off the ground and dragging him away from the scene.

“If all burglars were like this, we wouldn’t need to work overtime,” the Shanghai Public Security Bureau wrote.

The video of the robbery-turned-disaster has gone viral, picking up over four million views in a few days. No information was given on the condition of the thief.