A man who masturbated in a public library while holding a cucumber has been charged with committing an “indecent act”.

Police in Toronto were alerted to the presence of the man at the Agincourt Library in the city’s Scarborough district – where he was allegedly seen pleasuring himself while holding the fruit in his other hand.

Staff had recognised the man, identified as 49-year-old Fredrick Tennyson Davis, from a similar incident in April.

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Constable David Hopkinson told the Sun News Network: “On 7 April, he sits down and a (26-year-old woman) sits next to him and he opens up his laptop.”

According to Mr Hopkinson, the man then began masturbating with one hand while holding the cucumber with the other hand.

York Regional Police Constable Andy Pattenden said Mr Davis was also charged with a similarly lewd act in June 2012 at a different library.

Mr Davis was charged with an indecent act and two counts of failure to comply with probation.

The judge handed him a suspended sentence and 12 months probation for the indecent act charge and a stay of proceedings for the mischief charge.

But when asked if Davis had posed a danger to library staff, Mr Hopkinson said: “I don't think he had any free hands to make any threat.”