A MAN made a frantic phone call to police begging for help after being chased by a baby squirrel – forcing them to come and “arrest” the tiny creature, it emerged this week.

Cops in Karlsruhe, Germany, revealed the unnamed member of the public rang them early in the morning saying: "Help, I'm being pursued by a squirrel!"

Officers raced to the scene, finding the man still being chased by the tenacious rodent.

They intervened, rescuing the man from his tormentor, which they swiftly detained.

All tired out from the chase, the bushy-tailed prisoner curled up and fell asleep.

Cops took to Twitter to share pictures of the suspect – which they dubbed Karl-Friedrich – in custody.

But after investigating they discovered the animal’s motives were much less sinister than the man he was chasing may have thought.

A police spokesperson said baby squirrels that have lost their mothers sometimes focus on a person as a replacement.

She told Sky News it can be "pretty scary" and added that the caller "was certainly feeling a bit threatened".

The creature is now being looked after in an animal rescue centre.

The man’s fears may have been justified, as squirrels have been known to attack people on occasion.

There were warnings last year about squirrels attacking children in Tehidy Country Park in Cornwall to steal their lunches.

And a cop in New York shared footage of when he was assaulted by a kamikaze squirrel in December.