‘Head in bin man’ William Middleton goes viral in UK after getting head stuck in trash can (VIDEO)

William Middleton, a homeless man who got his head stuck in a trash can on a busy street in Aberdeen, Scotland, has been dubbed "head in bin man" in the UK after a photo of him in the unfortunate predicament went viral.

Firefighters were called to rescue Middleton after he stuck his head into the opening of the trash can early Sunday evening to retrieve his hat — and got stuck for about 20 minutes. 

The BBC said he has also been nicknamed "bucket heid" (that's "bucket head" for us non-Scots) since the photo was shared by tens of thousands of people on social media websites.

"I couldn't get my head out. It was shocking. It was stinking. I'm now known as bucket heid," he told reporters, according to the BBC.

After firefighters cut Middleton free with the help of a high-powered saw, he was taken to the hospital for a check up.

Metro UK said Middleton is a cigarette scavenger, and a familiar sight on Aberdeen's streets. The newspaper said he lost his hat while looking to see if there were any cigarettes in the trash can.

STV News reported that homeless charities in Aberdeen have condemned those who have poked fun at Middleton, noting the desperation of people living on the streets.