1:56pm UK, Sunday July 17, 2005

Hundreds of volunteers have stripped naked and walked the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead at dawn - all in the name of art.

Controversial American artist Spencer Tunick was creating his latest piece of nude art, with the help of 1,500 hardy volunteers.

180 art nude newcastle tunick

Naked across the Tyne

Among those taking part were zoo-keepers, postmen, midwives and even a vicar.

Volunteers, who include Tunick fans who follow his work around the world, pre-registered for the event from Australia, Belgium and Peru.

Tunick has already set up the world's largest nude photoshootwhen 7,000 bared all in Barcelona in 2003.

He also photographed 4,000 naked people in the centre of Melbourne and more than 500 in Selfridges store in London.

From dawn, people gathered by the Baltic Gallery in Gateshead, before stripping off in the car park.

They were marshalled into different poses using a loud speaker, at five locations on both sides of the River Tyne.

Afterwards Mr Tunick said: "I needed 1,500 people to make this installation work and so I am happy with that. I got everything I needed and more."

Designer Cally Daniels, 34, from Edinburgh, was one of those taking part.

She said: "It was strange not to be self-conscious in that environment - normally I wouldn't even wear a skirt, I only wear trousers, so nobody even sees my legs.

"The main problem was avoiding stepping in vomit - there were a few chips and kebabs around."