A former World's Strongest Man, now a haulage company boss, faces prosecution for threatening refugees found hiding in one of his trucks with a baseball bat.

Weightlifting champion Mariusz Pudzianowski, who runs an international transport company, was fined £40,000 when French officials caught eight refugees inside lorries bound for Britain in Calais.

The bodybuilder posted a threatening picture of himself holding the bat on Facebook - and warned next time he would be waiting for migrants who hid in his truck with a bat.

Muscleman: Mariusz Pudzianowski is facing prosecution after threatening refugees with a baseball bat. He was fined £40,000 after eight stowaways were found hiding in one of his trucks in Calais, France

Threat: Mariusz Pudzianowski, who won the World's Stongest Man competition a record five times, posted this picture on Facebook and warned he would protect his trucks in the future

His uninvited guests had also caused £23,000 of damage to goods inside the truck.

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) expert and five time World's Strongest Man champion said he would soon go to France to deal with 'this human garbage'.

He wrote: 'With this [baseball bat] I'll be waiting on my trailer at the ferry from Calais to the UK.

'We are dealing with the protection of personal property.

'If someone attacks you, you have the right to defend yourself, and if you steal something and are caught in the act you have the right to deal with him to prevent crime.'

Stowaways: Eight refugees, from countries including Syria, were found inside one of his trucks by French officials. He posted these pictures of his damaged vehicle and the refugees on social media

Damage: The gang who hid in his lorry in Calais had caused £23,000 worth of damage while inside before they were discovered

Prosecution: Mariusz Pudzianowski is under investigation after posting these images online. He was reported to police by the anti-racist group HejtStop

Posting photographs of his damaged lorry and the refugees on social media, Mr Pudzianowski added: 'These are the destroyed goods on a trailer lorry at Calais.

With this [baseball bat] I'll be waiting on my trailer at the ferry from Calais to the UK Mariusz Pudzianowski

'The cost of the destroyed goods is about 30,000 Euros. The driver was stopped by police for 48 hours and bailed for 5,000 euros and the matter is now waiting to go to court.'

In another post he said that although he works with people of different faiths, including Muslims, he would 'not tolerate robbers, rapists, burglars'.

He is now under investigation by Polish prosecutors for inciting hatred and racism after being reported by anti-racist group HejtStop (Stop Hatred).

Joanna Grabarczyk, who is campaign coordinator for HejtStop, said: 'No matter what happens, nothing justifies anyone to incite or commit a crime especially in such a delicate matter as refugees.

'Public figures do not realise that their words have an effect.'

In his defence, Pudzianowski, who once served 19 months in jail for assaulting a local mafia boss, said: 'At no time have I called for hatred or attacks on different religions, nationalities.

'There is a difference between the incitement to violence and defending when one is affected.

'I won't allow another group of immigrants onto my trucks. I don't want my employees to be put at risk from refugees armed with knives.

Strongman: The bodybuilder and five-time World's Strongest Man champion was fuming that his haulage company had to pay a fine of £40,000

Defence: Mariusz Pudzianowski said that at no point had he called for attacks or incited hatred, but said he would protect his property, including his trucks, in the future

Damage: The refugees are said to have caused more than £23,000 of damage to goods inside the truck

'I know immigrants, refugees who live in Poland. They are normal people, they behave like civilised people.

'But if someone behaves like cattle, whether it be in Poland, or abroad, I'll say something and not ignore it.'