A suspected German serial burglar has been betrayed by his ears, after he left prints of his aural cavities on the doors of dozens of houses and flats.

The 33-year-old man has been in custody since being arrested after a December 2011 break-in. Police in the port city of Hamburg said on Sunday they had evidence to tie him to 96 break-ins and break-in attempts between July 2009 and July 2011.

The man stole jewellery, cash and electronic appliances, and is said to have caused a total of €500,000 in damages, but he made one fatal error: he reportedly left ear-prints on the doors while listening to see whether anyone was in.