Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003
Police Hunt Naked Hiker




LONDON (Reuters) - Worried police are searching for a naked rambler who has been enjoying the sights along a famous British walking trail wearing only a floppy hat and a pair of hiking boots, the Times newspaper reported Tuesday.

The man has startled other ramblers on several occasions in the past fortnight during his walks in the Yorkshire Dales in northern England, where he has been seen at several points on the 270-mile Pennine Way.

During one sighting, the rambler -- described as in his late 30s, of athletic build and sporting an all-over tan -- was reported to have said a cheerful "good afternoon" to a woman.

On another occasion he obligingly covered up, temporarily, after a male passer-by told him to put some clothes on.

Acting Chief Inspector Tadeusz Nowakowski, who is leading the hunt, said the mystery rambler could face charges of outraging public decency.

"These incidents might be quite tame, but the police are taking them seriously due to the distress they have clearly caused to the public," the Times quoted Nowakowski as saying.

"Imagine if your wife was stuck up on her own in the Dales, having her sandwiches and a bit of a nap when suddenly this man comes bumbling around the corner," Nowakowski said.