Matthews wrote that he "heard a click" then realised there was a padlock on his ear.

A man was left fuming after someone sneakily padlocked his ear.

The man, who calls himself Tom Grim Fandango Matthews on Facebook, claimed that a stranger had snuck up on him and attached the lock to his ear stretcher.

He explained that he was having a cigarette "out back" when he "heard a click turned round realised they're was a padlock on my ear and tried to chase em. [sic]"

He posted a picture of the lock on the social media site, along with an angry threat to the culprit.

But if he was expecting sympathy, or someone to join him in his rage, he was disappointed.

His friends just found the whole thing hilarious.

"Can I just ask how you didn't notice someone f****** about with you ear?" one wrote.

Another suggested: "Get yourself to the diy shop and give em a fiver to cut it off. After they've stopped taking pictures."

And a helpful mate added: "I can pick locks, £10 an hour tho! [sic]"

The jokes came thick and fast too: "Ear you should be locked up looking like that!"

The picture has now been shared round the world.

Matthews, who appears to be from the UK, later posted that "old boy lived up the road and had bolt cutters", suggesting his jewellery had successfully been released from the lock. Phew.