A superstitious man who has not cut his nails for decades because he believes it keeps him healthy has been left without an ID card because cops could not scan his fingerprints as his nails are 86 centimetres long.

Luu Cong Huyen, 63, from the northern Vietnamese province of Nam Dinh, went to get his new ID card this week.

But his long, curly nails prevented the fingerprint scan from taking place.

Images of the police trying to scan the man’s prints have been widely shared on social media.

Although the procedure normally takes no more than a couple of minutes, the 63-year-old man, who has not cut his fingernails for four decades, was in the office for over half an hour and officers were still unable to scan them.

After his unsuccessful trip to the People's Committee office in the commune of Giao Yen in the district of Giao Thuy on 4th April, Luu said: “Officers failed to scan my fingerprints as my nails are long and arched. If I am not careful, they would break."

He added: “Many people tell me to cut them, saying they look disgusting, but I would fall sick straight away if I did it. I recently felt unwell after a bit of nail broke off.”

The builder added: “My hands are often covered in cement so they look dirty. I do not dare clean them as my nails would crumple like instant noodles and peel off if I got them wet.

"I don't even dare go to a crowded place or outside when it rains. Every time I take a bath, I have to ask my wife for help."

Meanwhile, a police spokesperson said: “As the government requires every citizen to have a new ID card with an embedded chip, we will work out how to help him at a later time.”

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