The price you pay for being romantic

A GERMAN woman, fearful that a burglar was trying to break into her second storey apartment, called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight, police said on Thursday.

Police discovered the "burglar" was a man carrying flowers and a bottle of wine who turned out to be the woman's boyfriend, but then arrested him on an outstanding warrant.

"He was trying to surprise her with the flowers and a bottle of wine but it all went wrong," said Korbach police spokesman Volker Koenig. He said the man jumped down from the balcony and tried to escape but was quickly tackled by police.

"He nevertheless gave the police who were taking him to jail the bottle of wine as a gesture of thanks for the friendly treatment after the arrest," Koenig said.

Meanwhile police from Lincoln, Nebraska, said a man did more than take a pickup for a spin during a test drive recently.

Red Star Auto of Lincoln reported a pickup had been stolen on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The dealership's owner said a 39-year-old man had taken the truck for a test drive earlier Tuesday.

Police believe the man stopped during the test drive to have a copy made of the truck's key.

He returned the truck to the lot, but police believe he stole it overnight using the duplicate key.

The dealership owner drove to the man's address and found the truck parked about 10 blocks away.

Police arrested the man, and he was still in the Lancaster County jail Thursday morning.

Agencies