Naked man in art project told to cover up

LONDON, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A man taking part in a London art project promising anyone the opportunity to become a "living statue" shed his underpants and was asked by police to cover up.

The man, who identified himself only as Simon, took part in Antony Gormley's fourth plinth art project early Wednesday by climbing atop the statue-less plinth in London's Trafalgar Square to spend the allotted time -- up to an hour, the project's rules state -- as a human statue, The Times of London reported Thursday.

Simon received hoots from the crowd when he climbed atop the plinth at 1 a.m. and began shedding his clothing. But after five minutes, project organizers asked him to cover up.

"Simon, you're going to have to put something on or they want you down," a witness quoted one organizer as saying. "Sorry, mate. Some pants or something. Thank you."

Police confirmed they were behind ordering the organizers to have Simon cover his private parts.

"Officers were alerted to a naked male in Trafalgar Square at 1:05 this morning," a spokesman said Wednesday. "The man was asked to put his clothes back on and immediately did so. No further action was taken."

The fourth plinth project is projected to last until 100 people have taken a turn completing Trafalgar Square's quartet of statues. Gormley recently said the project had surpassed the 50-person milestone.