Man who was hospitalised after getting WWl bomb stuck up his bum could face legal charges

You’d assume accidentally lodging a WWI bomb up your backside would be the low point of your week.

But for the currently-hospitalised 24-year-old who hit international headlines for this bizarre blunder, pain and bad press are the least of his worries.

That's because the Frenchman could be set to face a series of legal charges in the coming weeks, one of which could see him thrown behind bars.

For those who missed it, local outlet La Dépêche first reported on Saturday (31 Jan) that an adult man had checked himself into hospital with complaints of pain in and around his backside.

Whilst investigating the source of his agony, staff at Rangueil Hospital in Toulouse discovered that their patient had inserted a considerably-sized object into his anus.

It wasn't until they sedated the man and commenced with surgery, however, that they released exactly what the mystery item was - a 16x4cm WWI artillery shell.

Doctors called several emergency services (LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Dating back over 100 years to 1918, the bomb had become stuck deep inside the unnamed patient's rectum. He failed to divulge how or why, exactly, it had found itself in the intimate area.

Given the potential risk to life - not only for the man in question, but hospital staff - doctors called firefighters, police and a bomb disposal team.

According to France Bleu, the trio of emergency services arrived at the medical facility at approximately 3am local time, setting up up security perimeter.

"As a precautionary measure, firefighters are mobilised to reinforce in order to prevent any risk of fire during the intervention," reports explained.

Attending fire officers later told Le Parisien that the shell had been diffused following a joint effort, and that it no longer posed a danger.

The shell was removed during surgery (Getty Stock Image)

The patient's journey to recovery isn't expected to be easy, however - and not just because of the tenderness of his injuries.

According to new reports, he has since been questioned by investigating officers who are considering charging him with violating his home-country's legislation on weaponry.

Article L312-1 of France's Internal Security Code rules: "No one may legally acquire and possess war materials, weapons, ammunition and their components of any category unless they are eighteen years of age or older, subject to the exceptions defined by decree in the Council of State for hunting and activities supervised by the sports federation which has received, under Article L. 131-14 of the Sports Code, a delegation from the Minister responsible for sports for the practice of shooting."

The subsequent section, L312-2, adds: "The acquisition and possession of war materiel, weapons, ammunition, and their components falling under category A are prohibited, except for the needs of national defence and public safety.

The man could be charged with breaking weapons legislation (Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)

"A decree issued by the Council of State defines the conditions under which the State, for purposes other than national defence and public safety, local authorities, and organisations of general interest or with a cultural, historical, or scientific mission, as well as individuals for professional or sporting activities, may be authorised to acquire and possess category A war materiel, weapons, ammunition, and their components.

"It also establishes the conditions under which individuals may acquire and possess war materiel for collecting purposes.

"These exemptions are granted subject to applicable international agreements and the requirements of public order and safety."