The 70-year-old man had inserted the fork into his urethra order to gain sexual gratification.

“The motives for insertion of a variety of objects are difficult to comprehend” said a report on the bizarre incident in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.

The fork was removed with the help of “copious lubrication” while the man was under general anaesthetic.

Attempting to explain the incident, the scientific medical team said in the journal: “The practice manifests primarily during states of pathological masturbation, substance abuse and intoxication and as a result of psychological compounders.

“Autoerotic stimulation with the aid of self-inserted urethral foreign bodies has been existent since time immemorial and have presented an unusual but known presentation to urologists.”