THE identity of the mystery nudist spotted hiking through the Yorkshire Dales may now have been, er, revealed.

The intrepid trekker is thought to be 44-year-old Steve Gough, a former truck driver who has set himself the task of walking from Land's End to John O'Groats in the altogether.

He has made it his mission in life to celebrate the human body and to try and enlighten the public - and the authorities - that the freedom to go naked in public is a basic human right.

And to that end he's been steadily hiking northwards since the middle of June, wearing only boots, a floppy hat, a rucksack and his birthday suit.

Perhaps as could be expected, his journey so far has not been without its tribulations.

The father-of-two, from Eastleigh, near Southampton, needed four stitches after one man attacked him and he's also had several run-ins with the police.

Although Mr Gough isn't letting on where his hike took him police confirmed they had received sightings in North Yorkshire.

The description appeared to match Mr Gough's appearance and prompting stern warnings that cheeky walkers should put some clothes on.

After reaching Scotland he was arrested, interviewed by a team of psychiatrists and then flown back down to Cornwall where he had missed a court hearing.

Now he is believed to be hitching his way north again to resume his naked trek where it left off.

On his website Steve explains just why he has set himself his task. "My personal philosophy has been hung around the idea of being myself for 20 years or so," he says.

"That has been the way I've been heading ever since; trying to grapple with the concept - to be or not to be - and understanding the fear, in myself, standing in the way."

He adds: "My naked activism is firstly and most importantly about me standing up for myself, a declaration of myself as a beautiful human being, an expression of my 'ok-ness' in the face of so much self-hate."

Police repeated their warnings not to go rambling in the altogether, adding: "It doesn't matter how hot it is - we do not condone walking with no clothes on."