Does this printer come with a mouse? Rodent tried to make its home inside computer peripheral - but got squashed to death when someone used it

He may have set up home inside a colour printer - but when the device was switched on his future became fairly black and white.

The unfortunate rodent had managed to squeeze into the machine and was crushed to death when someone tried to print a document in Moscow, Russia.

Adam Zhirov, one of the printer's users, believed there was a paper jam and opened the machine up to remove the cartridge.

When he did so he noticed what at first glance appeared to be a stray wire, but what turned out to be the mouse's tail.

Mr Zhirov said: 'My printer stopped working. I think the mouse is to blame. A mouse had been sucked into the mechanism.

'I wonder if it was printing out its nomination form for the rodent version of the Darwin awards?'

He uploaded the images to the internet and they soon went viral in Russia.

Many commented on the video - suggesting that the mouse looked as if it was still alive and urging Mr Zhirov to call Greenpeace and the fire service.

Mr Zhirov, who had to dispose of the mouse and the print cartridge, said he uploaded the photos 'as a warning to other mice not to mess around with computer hardware'.

Wedged: The upside-down printer shows how the mouse was crushed when someone tried to use the device

Paper-jam: Adam Zhirov, of Moscow, uploaded the photos to the internet and they quickly went viral