Copenhagen - A heavily inebriated 78-year-old Swede, who did not have enough money to travel home from Denmark on the ferry, stole a rowing boat and tried to row back home, police confirmed Tuesday.

The sprightly pensioner stole a skiff at the weekend in the Danish port city of Helsingor and started rowing the five-kilometre stretch of the Oresund back to Helsingborg in Sweden.

Police were alerted to a seemingly unmanned skiff drifting in the busy strait between the neighbouring Scandinavian countries and found the elderly Swede asleep in the boat.

The man said he thought the current would take him across to Helsingborg.

The harbour police towed the man and the boat back to Denmark and paid his fare to Sweden on the ferry.

The Danish owner of the boat chose not to press charges. (dpa)