German court rules in favour of man's right to urinate while standing

A court in Germany has ruled in favour of a man's right to urinate while standing.

A landlord demanded £1,400, (€1,900 £$2,200) in compensation from his tenant for ruining his marble floor while peeing.

But Judge Stefan Hank in Dusseldorf refused to pay out the damages saying men who insisted on standing"must expect occasional rows with housemates, especially women", but they could not be held responsible for collateral damage.

"Despite growing domestication of men in this matter, urinating while standing up is still widespread," he added.

The debate about whether men should stand or sit while urinating has existed in Germany for some time.

Some toilets have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position. However, men who sit down to urinate can be referred to as "Sitzpinkler", with the implication that it's not masculine behaviour.