Limerick's leading newspaper the Limerick Leader has described Ireland's 'compo culture' being caught on camera after a man was filmed intentionally spilling milk from the refrigerated goods sections before staging his 'fall'.

The incident was caught by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and the shop owner, who ran an outlet of the popular Spar convenience store where the incident occurred, has said he will sue the milk-spiller, believed to be a local man in his early twenties, if he attempts to prosecute a claim.

The man was seen moving furtively over to the refrigerated goods department before opening a 2 litre bottle of milk and spilling it over the floor.

He then 'slipped'and - best of all - attempted to make a distressed phone-call while partially submerged in the milk.

The incident has garnered some attention in the local media because it highlights the growing problem of insurance fraud in Ireland.

The 'litigation culture' is catching on fast here, and an overwhelming array of tribunals, from the Small Claims Court to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) to the Employment Appeals Tribunal, now means that just about anything from spilt milk to a broken ankle can be successfully prosecuted for often minimal expense.

The Irish Independent reports that dodgy insurance claims now cost the taxpayer a whopping €100m a year, despite a high-profile series of national advertisements aimed at encouraging people to think twice before seeking unfounded redress.

The milk scam-man, however, faces stiff competition for the prize for this summer's most unskillfully executed crime from two thieves who attempted a small-scale bank robbery in Cork earlier this summer.

Two masked mens' audacious bid to rob a local bank in Cork was met with a decidedly obvious lack of trepidation on the part of the amused customers making withdrawals at the bank: several even managed to take photographs of the 'raid' in progress for a local Cork newspaper.

The attempted heist ended in abject failure for the masked pair after a security guard managed (seemingly without difficulty) to disarm one of them of their weapon of choice: a sledgehammer, after which one of the assailants was heard to shout: "Let's get the f**k out of here," before heading away in a small 1.4 litre getaway vehicle.

READ MORE: Irish bank robbers foiled as they drop cash and the keys to the getaway car >

Milkman sets up his 'spill'. Photo: Independent.ie

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