What’s a television without its remote control? Not much, decided a thief in southwestern France who returned to the home from which he had just stolen a TV to pick up the remote control — and was arrested.

The man robbed a retiree’s house in the village of Mussidan, taking the TV set and some hunting rifles, police said. While the owner was reporting the theft at the local police station, the thief returned.

Alert neighbors tipped off the police and they caught the man red-handed.

“He came back to take the remote control,” a local police spokesman said. “I guess there’s daring and there’s stupid.”

“Remote chance” — har, har, har!