Police in the Siberian city of Vladivostok have already caught two thieves snipping off the waist-length hair of a woman on a packed tram, reported the Itar-Tass news agency on Friday.

The thick tresses, stretching almost to the woman's waist, were cut off with a razor, say reports.

Her impromptu hair restyling was no prank, but part of a booming business in false hair pieces.

Don't let your hair down

The shocking incident was not the first instance of such theft - local police said more and more unplanned haircuts are being reported every month.

The image-altering crime is becoming an everyday reality in Russia - where big hair means high fashion.