PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - A woman who tried to escape from the police station in Peterborough, Ont., through the ceiling was thwarted by a falling tile.

Police say the woman was in an interview room last Thursday to be questioned about the theft of an Internet router and laptop computer.

Staff Sgt. John Lyons says the woman was checked by officers several times.

Shortly before 2 a.m., the woman went missing - but officers noticed a chair on the table and a dislodged ceiling tile.

The woman had crawled about eight metres from the interview room before a falling ceiling tile gave away her position.

The 22-year-old woman is charged with attempt to escape custody, two counts of mischief under $5,000 and theft under $5,000.

The woman wasn't wearing handcuffs because she was secured at the police station, Lyons said.

"As long as there's no safety issue, they don't wear handcuffs," he said.

The probability of her escaping from the station was slim to none, Lyons said.

"The fear was that she was going to come crashing through the ceiling if she tried to walk," he said.

Once the woman came down from the ceiling, she was placed in a secure cell.