German DIY enthusiast walls himself up in cellar


Er… this is definitely one to file under “how not to do it.” Reports are emerging of a DIY enthusiast in Germany who walled himself into his own cellar.

And when he wanted to leave? No problem. He simply drilled his way out through a neighbour’s wall. The BBC takes up the story:

German DIY enthusiast walls himself into cellar

The unnamed pensioner, 64, went into the cellar with bricks and mortar, as well as food and drink, and ended up being trapped there all weekend. It is unclear why he wanted to block up the entrance.

“He was on the wrong side of the wall when his work was finished,” local police said in a statement.

After spending the weekend immured underground, the man went into action on Monday, attacking his neighbours’ firewall with a hammer drill. The neighbours, with whom the man had already been quarrelling for months, called the police when they heard the loud drilling. Read more here…

The story goes on to explain how the man broke through to find his neigbours and police waiting for him – only to start insulting them.

Why is this starting to remind us so strongly of Basil Fawlty?