HIKING in hot weather can be tough going.

The unrelenting heat makes tramping through undergrowth in sturdy clothes difficult and the unwanted attentions of flies and wasps can make things even more unpleasant.

But this summer, some walkers have hit upon a novel way of keeping cool, although the wasps could be even more problematic than usual and as for the barbed wire fences...

The new kind of hikers are making their presence known on some of the most picturesque northern landscapes but their rosy cheeks are not where you would normally expect to find them.

While most hikers at least wear a pair of shorts, the newcomers prefer to go completely unencumbered by anything as bothersome as clothes.

The naked phenomena first came to light late last year, with several sightings of groups of hikers in the altogether, risking pneumonia in the rugged wilds of the North York Moors.

Things went quiet for a while during the cold months of winter, but now the naked ramblers have chosen the sunny weather to reappear.

The practice appears to have made its way east to the Yorkshire Dales, where there have been five reports of hikers clad only in boots and hats.

Police have been told about the naked hikers but say the reports were made more in the spirit of passing on information.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire police said the incidents did not appear to have offended those who reported them.

He said: "This is obviously something that some people like to do and the fact that it is so infrequently reported means they are clearly being very discreet about it."

"But they must bear in mind that they could cause distress to some people and that we have to take it seriously."

Cassandra Tebb, of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, said: "We are not sure if they saw the same person or different people, because the sightings were all on the Pennine Way.

"At one of the sightings, somebody shouted "put your trousers on" and the hiker promptly did so.

"We don't have a policy on clothes as such in the park although usually we recommend people wear sturdy footwear and some clothing at least.

"In weather like this, we also suggest people avoid any problems by using a good sun cream."

It must be hoped the advice is taken seriously by whoever it that has been stepping out au naturelle.