The 15-year-old boy from Mattegoda, Sri Lanka, took the drastic action after realising there were no services running he could use to meet his girlfriend as arranged.

He then snuck into a bus depot where a group of drivers had left their vehicles to watch a cricket tournament and nabbed a bus which still had the keys in the ignition.

Police officers later brought the runaway bus to a halt and caught the boy as he attempted to flee, Sri Lankan website Newswire reports.

After questioning, the boy admitted stealing the bus to visit his girlfriend. A further investigation revealed that he had been arrested in the past for doing the exact same thing.

He is now due to appear before a magistrates’ court.