Canadian man has knife removed from back THREE YEARS after being stabbed

McNeely told local press he had been uncomfortable since the stabbing and had set off every metal detector he went through in the past three years

Northwest Territories man was just scratching what he thought was an annoying old itch earlier this week when it turned out to be a knife blade (AP)

A Canadian man has had a knife removed from his back by doctors more than three years after he was stabbed in a fight.

Billy McNeely, 32, told local press that he had suffered itching and minor pain in his back, but did not know the knife blade was still embedded.

According to reports Mr McNeely, of the Northwest Territories, was stabbed in a fight in April 2010.

He told local press he had been uncomfortable since and had set off every metal detector he went through in the past three years.

He told the BBC: "I've done some jail time in the past. The guards rub over you with a metal wand detector, and every time it hit my back...it went off."

This week McNeely was scratching his back when his fingernail caught on something. He asked his girlfriend to inspect his sore back and it was then that the knife was discovered.

Mr McNeely's girlfriend, Stephanie Sayine, told CBC News: "I told Billy: 'There's a knife sticking out of your back.' I was scared. I was ready to pull it out with tweezers".

Doctors dug out a blade measuring about seven centimetres long.

The knife had remained in the Canadian's back for three years despite him repeatedly complaining to doctors and nurses about the problem.

Mr McNeely was stabbed during a fight following an arm-wrestle in 2010.

He was stabbed five times and was taken to hospital where, according to reports, he was stitched up and bandaged - but doctors did not x-ray him.

McNeely is considering whether to file a lawsuit against the local health department.