A repairman who got stuck inside at ATM in Texas tried to escape by slipping scribbled “please help” notes to bemused customers through a receipt slot, police say.

The contractor became trapped behind stacks of cash while changing a door lock to a room at the Bank of America branch in Corpus Christi on Wednesday.

Corpus Christi police spokesman Lieutenant Chris Hooper told The Washington Post the routine maintenance worker had left his phone and a device needed to open the door from the inside.

“You can’t just turn the knob and exit,” Lt. Hooper said.

One note read: “Please help. I’m stuck in here and I don’t have my phone. Please call my boss…”

Man trapped inside ATM dispensed notes through the machine to get help: https://t.co/SJWKxJWKRl pic.twitter.com/D4wlEzBUmG

— VICE (@VICE) July 13, 2017

Customers first appeared to dismiss the notes as a gag or a reality television spoof, but someone eventually called police for assistance.

Police called out to the man behind the teller before several officers kicked the door down to rescue him.

“Sure enough, we can hear a little voice coming from the machine,” Corpus Christi senior officer Richard Olden said.

“So we’re all thinking this is a joke – this has got to be a joke,” Mr Olden said, holding back a big grin.

“Everyone is OK, but you will never see this in your life, that somebody was stuck in the ATM. It was just crazy.”

The man was reportedly stuck in the ATM for about two hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_iZAWL4sE4