An alleged burglar wanted by Welsh authorities sent a newspaper a picture of himself because he didn't like the mug shot it published.

A spokesman for the South Wales Evening Post said Matthew Maynard, 23, whose mug shot appeared in the paper during the weekend as part of a police effort to track down wanted suspects, called the newspaper Monday, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

"He telephoned on Monday saying he was not happy with the picture and that he would send in another," the spokesman said. "We just didn't believe that he would do it."

However, staff received a photo of Maynard posing next to a police van.

Police said Maynard's stunt is likely to backfire as the newspaper printed the photo on its front page.

"He is a berk. He thinks he is being clever by showing off like this, but we'll have him in soon now," one officer said.