Brick domes designed to stop people urinating on the streets of a Teesside town have gone viral online, raking in thousands of likes.

A post about the structures from Billingham resident James Elliott popped up in Facebook group 'Dull Men's Group' and has been seen thousands of times, garnering nearly 4,000 likes and more than 1,300 comments.

James used to live in Stockton and thought the 'urine deflectors' were "dull but interesting" and took to the group to share his thoughts on the strange brick domes designed to block urine.

"In the back alleys in my town centre Stockton are these Victorian contraptions to stop men peeing in the corners or the alley as the pee would go into your shoe," he said in his post.

But he did not expect the post to get as many interactions as it has done. "It was just a daft bit of history about our town," James told The Northern Echo.

"If I'm honest it's shocked me how many people liked and commented on it."

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"I'm a member of a group on Facebook called the Dull Men's Club.

"People from around the world post dull but interesting facts in the group.

"I was going to the high street for the bus passing down a side street, when I saw the old Victorian urine deflector in the alley. I thought this might be dull but interesting so I snapped a pic and posted into the group.

"I did not expect it to get the audience it did!"

Urine deflectors are thought to be the earliest example of hostile architecture and are prominent on London's Fleet Street having been installed in the 19th century.

A deflector can also be seen by the entrance of St Gregory's church in Norwich and have been seen as far afield as Lviv and Venice.

The post prompted wonder and disbelief from commenters, one Erik Marcus Torkildsen, said: "So that is what they are for! Learned something today!"

Gary Coxon said: "when you notice them you spot them all over the place" and Paul Tennant said "I genuinely never knew this. Today, is a great day."