A GANG of lewd little people has been blamed for offending American tourists.

Pete The Piddler, Fred the Flasher, Juicy Lucy and Nasty Nick may only be garden gnomes - but they are not shy about flaunting the attributes they have been given.

Fred, Pete and Lucy leave little to the imagination, while Nick's gesture is equally frank.

But while some tourists find them amusing, others have vowed never to return to York.

The four characters on show at Stuart and Linda Sykes's shop in Goodramgate have prompted an official complaint from tour operators Sedona Arizona Travel.

"They are totally offensive and have greatly distressed our American customers," said spokeswoman, Joan Townsend.

"One party were so upset they did not want to see any more of the city and we were forced to leave. They have vowed never to return."

However, Mr and Mrs Sykes are adamant the gnomes will stay on show.

"Two nuns were in here the other day laughing their heads off," said Mr Sykes.

"The gnomes are very popular with tourists and are a big seller. I don't see how they can be classed as obscene."

Mrs Sykes said the police had asked them to cover the gnomes' assets but customers kept removing the covers for a laugh.