MELBOURNE, Oct 26, 2009 (AFP) - An eight-year-old boy who disappeared from his bedroom in the middle of the night was found helping himself to chocolate ice cream at his local 24-hour supermarket, police said Monday.

Police picked up the child at about 3:50 am inside a Safeway store in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell after staff reported the barefoot youngster was roaming the store alone.

"Police arrived to find the boy with his head buried in the frozen food section after it appears he may have taken a liking to some chocolate ice cream in the aisle," Victoria Police said in a statement.

The child was reunited with his parents shortly afterwards, but not before a short stint at Camberwell police station.

"It appears his liking of chocolate extended to the watch house at Camberwell as the boy eyed off the local stash, forcing police to move quickly to ensure their emergency sustenance was kept intact," police said.

The boy will not be charged for shoplifting over the ice-cream he ate in the store, police said.