A 40-year-old man was sectioned under the Mental Health Act after he was seen taking his clothes off near the centre of Devizes on Saturday afternoon.

Local residents and passers-by in Commercial Road could not believe their eyes when the man carefully took off his clothes, laid them neatly on a metal bench and sat down beside them.

People urged the man to put his clothes back on but he failed to do so and the police were called.

Sgt Ronnie Lungu, of Devizes police, said: “A 40-year-old man was detained by police at Commercial Road under the Mental Health Act and taken to Green Lane Hospital for treatment.

“He was seen by members of the public taking his clothes off and folding them neatly. He then wandered around the streets naked.”

Local resident John Underwood said: “I saw him standing out there but didn’t think anything of it. I went away to attend to some jobs and when I came back the police had arrived and were putting a blanket around him before putting him into the car.

“They very carefully picked up his clothes and put them in a bag before driving off.

"I think a car had stopped and the driver had tried to get the man to put his clothes on again.”