A BUMBLING criminal went on a crime spree around the pet shops of Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin last week – stealing a parrot and two lizards and then trying to sell them from the boot of his car directly outside the stores.

The man was being questioned by gardaí at Dun Laoghaire station this weekend. On Thursday afternoon, the man went into The Pet Shop, on Patrick Street in the south Dublin suburb, and asked staff if they would trade him the parrot for some lizards he had at home.

"We said we wouldn't trade the parrot for his lizards. So when our backs were turned, he decided to give himself a five finger discount and put the parrot up his jumper and walked out of the shop," said manager Marcus Murtagh. "We know this man well, he often comes into the shop. We rang the gardaí immediately."

The man was later spotted in a laneway next to The Pet Shop trying to sell the parrot, a Jenday Conure named Connie, from the boot of his car. Despite the theft, the man returned to The Pet Shop the next morning.

"We heard he was driving around with the parrot on his shoulder on Thursday. The next morning, he put his head in the door and said hello before leaving again," added Murtagh. "We called the gardaí again."

But the man didn't go far. He walked across the road to Fintastic Aquatics, a freshwater aquatics and reptile store on Patrick Street, and stole a lizard unbeknown to staff.

Ten minutes later, he walked back into Fintastic Aquatics and managed to steal another lizard, both baby bearded dragons, before walking out, this time followed by staff.

"We saw him the second time and followed him out. At that moment the gardaí arrived and arrested him," said Dimitri Meffre, a staff member at Fintastic Aquatics.

"We had to go down to the garda station to get the lizards back. One of them was hurt while he was stealing it. We have to wait and see how it is tomorrow, he might not make it."

Connie the parrot was discovered in a nearby car and was returned to The Pet Shop. "We got her back and she was unharmed except for being very hungry," Murtagh said.