Hundreds get naked in the name of art

Hundreds of volunteers stripped naked and walked city streets at dawn in the name of art today.

Controversial American artist Spencer Tunick cordoned off a section of the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides to create his latest piece of nude art.

Around 1,500 people braved the chilly early temperatures, rough road surfaces and discarded chips from last night's revellers to take part in his largest "installation" in the country.

They included zoo-keepers, postmen, midwives and 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 photoshoot in 2003 when 7,000 bared all in Barcelona.

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

They crossed the iconic Millennium Bridge, walked along the Newcastle quayside where they lay down and stood, by the city's crown courts.

They were then put into position in Dean Street before crossing back to South Shore Road in Gateshead and posing by the huge Sage music centre.

The shoot began around 4am and lasted more than three hours.

The work was commissioned by the Baltic gallery and the BBC who shot a TV documentary about the piece which will be shown tonight at 9pm on BBC3.