Thieves leave biker in 'hole' lot of trouble

A motorcyclist rode straight into a manhole in China after thieves stole the cover for its scrap metal value.

The biker, Zhang Bo, didn't see the cover was missing, in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, until it was too late.

Zhang was taken to hospital after he suffered a broken jaw and a fractured skull in the accident.

Motorist Hui Shi, who was driving immediately behind Zhang in his car, said the motorcyclist was just unlucky.

"Car wheels were driving either side of the hole but the motorbike was in the middle of the road and just dropped into the hole," he said.

"The biker was thrown head over heels. It's cruel but everybody was laughing, despite the man's injuries."

A Jilin police spokesman commented: "The manhole cover had been stolen to melt down for scrap. It's an increasing problem."