Google is being sued by a Frenchman after its Street View service captured a photograph of him urinating in his garden.

Although the picture was blurred, the man claims that the search engine giant has made him a laughing stock as he hails from a small village.

"He discovered the existence of this photo after noticing that he had become an object of ridicule in his village," the man's lawyer, Jean-Noel Bouillaud, told AFP.

The image was captured in the garden of the man's Maine-et-Loire province home. His attorney argues that the photograph should not be hosted on Street View since it depicts him on his own fenced-off property.

The complaint against Google, filed with a court in Angers, claims infringement of privacy and demands that the photograph is removed from the internet. The man is also seeking €10,000 (£8,300) in damages.

Google's lawyer Christophe Bigot told French newspaper Ouest-France that Street View merely displays people's silhouettes. He also claimed that the French court summons is invalid as the photo was published by Google US.

"It would have been enough to make a claim on the site for a complete blurring of the picture," he said. "This gentleman is an awkward customer who hopes to make a quick buck."

The Angers court will give its verdict on March 15.