This is the unfortunate moment a man scratching a lottery scratchcard appears to be playing with himself - in front of a cardboard cut-out policeman.

The unidentified man in a hoodie and jeans bought the lotto card at a petrol station.

He then walked outside and began scratching off the foil into a bin outside the service centre in Croydon.

But sadly for the unknown male an onlooker who was filming him said it looked like he was playing with himself.

And, bizarrely, the scene played out in front of a cardboard cut out policeman placed inside the shop window.

Witness Stuart Smith, 52, said appeared to be doing something rude into a bin - ''and being supervised by a policeman".

Stuart, of Lancs., had gone for breakfast with three work colleagues when they popped into the service centre at around 8.30am on October 4.

As they came out, they saw the man scratching in front of the bin - and stifled a laugh.

The group of four then quickly sneaked back into their car, where Stuart discretely filmed this astonishing moment.

Stuart said: "We were silent, but crying with laughter when we saw this.

"We couldn't believe our eyes. We thought it was hysterical - you couldn't have written that moment, it couldn't have been planned.

"I'd gone out for a Subway with the guys before work, when we popped into this service centre in Croydon before heading off.

"The lad had bought a scratchcard, and then cracked on with it."

He added: "That moment - him looking like he was w**king into a bin in front of a PC, and oblivious to it - was just sublime."