Historians were left blushing when they deciphered ancient Roman graffiti carved into stone near Hadrian's Wall.

The insulting comment, inscribed more than 1,700 years ago, was unearthed near Hexham, Northumberland.

It featured words written about someone called Secundinus beside an image of a phallus - typically used as a Roman symbol of good luck or fertility.

However, experts believe its true meaning would have left the subject "less than amused".

Roman epigraphy specialists recognised the message, found at the Roman site of Vindolanda, as a mangled version of the words Secundinus cacator, which translates into English as "Secundinus, the shitter".