A 250-year-old sex toy has been found by archaeologists during a dig of an ancient toilet in Poland.

The eight-inch leather dildo with a wooden head was discovered during an excavation at an old school of swordsmanship in the coastal city of Gdansk.

A spokesman for the Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments in Gdansk, said: 'It was found in the latrine and dates back to the second half of the 18th century.

Relic: The eight-inch, 250-year-old sex toy was found during a dig at the city of Gdansk in Poland, pictured

'It is quite thick and rather large, made of leather and filled with bristles, and has a wooden tip that has preserved in excellent condition. It was probably dropped by someone in the toilet.

'Whether that was by accident or on purpose is anyone's guess though.'

Archaeologists at the site earlier discovered old swords leading them to suspect that the place was once a school of swordsmanship.

The artifact has now been taken away for preservation work.

Historical: The 'quite thick' and 'rather large' sex toy was discovered during an excavation of ancient toilets in Gdansk, Poland

Dildos have been found in some form throughout history, with Upper Palaeolithic artefacts previously discovered being said to be likely used for sexual pleasure.

For thousands of years, phallic objects have been used symbolically as a means to boost fertility and ward off evil spirits - but their use as sexual aids has a long history, too.

A 28,000-year-old phallus recently found in Germany is quoted as being the oldest known 'sex toy' ever found.

While phalluses made from stone, wood, leather and even camel dung have all be found during excavations, or referenced throughout historical text and images.

And an Austrian museum even has the world's oldest condom on display together with four other condom fragments dated from around 1650.