A middle-aged man's idea to play a brief role of a thief on a popular TV show three years ago has only just begun to haunt him.

Yao, a storeowner in Jinan, Shandong province, volunteered to play the role when the producers of the show failed to get any of their actors in the shoes of the onscreen thief.

The show, which was shot three years ago, was aired recently. And those who caught the program have started treating Yao as if he was a real life thief.

"It's just embarrassing to hear people shout 'thief, thief' wherever I go," he said.