A man was sentenced to four years in prison recently after he intentionally set fire to a bus, Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.

The homeless former prison inmate said he committed the crime intentionally, as he wanted to return to prison where food and accommodation are provided.

The 60-year-old, surnamed Wang, set fire to the driver's seat, causing passengers to panic, after boarding a bus in Beijing's Fengtai district in August. A local court sentenced him to four years in prison for arson.

Wang, who has been detained seven times for stealing and fighting in public and was once sentenced to 14 years in jail for robbery, confessed that life out of prison without a fixed residence or relative support made him miss his time in jail, so he committed the crime in the hope of returning to prison.