A robber had a change of heart and returned the stolen money to the woman who he robbed brandishing a knife inside an ATM in China.

The robber apparently felt sorry for the woman after checking her bank balance and realised she had no money left in her account.

CCTV footage from inside the ATM kiosk of ICBC Bank has since gone viral which shows the robber demanding money from the woman.

The woman, identified as Li, hands over to the man the 2,500 yuan she had withdrawn. Seconds later, he checks the remaining balance in her account and instead of fleeing, the man who is seen wearing a black jacket, decides to return the stolen money.

The hilarious incident took place in Heyuan, China, and the robber gained sympathy for his act of kindness online after the footage went viral.

The viral footage published by CGTN shows the robber smiling as he returns the money to the woman, reported Times Now.

In spite of his kind act, the robber was arrested by Heyuan Police, stated reports.