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(Image: WEIBO)

And the worst thing about it is he was mere moments away from the next toilet when he made his mess.

The incident unfolded yesterday in Shanghai, China's biggest city, on the busy Metro Line 2.

It's a line where each stop is only two to three minutes apart and where every station has a toilet.

(Image: WEIBO)

Yet the shameless passenger seemed not to mind, pulling down his trousers and defecating all over the floor.

And though nobody's brave enough to take the seats beside him, other people can be seen sitting within a metre of the man.

One commuter even seems to be taking a snap – and several pictures have emerged online, where public pooping has sparked debate.

Beijing voice actor Zhenyu Tan said he saw people pooping in public several times a year and blamed a lack of free toilets.

He told Quora.com: "Most restaurants, office buildings and small hotels refuse to let the passerby use their washroom.

"The funny thing is McDonald's and KFC became the proper toilet in China because they don't refuse people and are everywhere in the city."

But Chinese writer Guo Wei said: "Chinese people, as shy and introverted as possible, won't consider it's appropriate to expose private parts in public.

"I'm sure you can find many pictures online about people showing buttocks but definitely not Chinese. Pooping in public is detested by most Chinese. It's a cultural thing."

(Image: GETTY)

Photos of the man's outrageous behaviour surfaced on Weibo, China's answer to Facebook, where people were disgusted.

One viewer commented: "If it's diarrhoea, then poop in your pants, it's more dignified, more hidden.

"Once the carriage doors open, you can rush away and no one will be the wiser."

Another asked: "You couldn't just hold it in, get off at the next stop and find a bathroom?"