THE identity of the mystery nudist spotted hiking through the Yorkshire Dales may now have been . . . er, revealed.

The intrepid trekker is thought to be 44-year-old Steve Gough, a former truck driver who has set himself the task of walking from Land's End to John O'Groats in the nude.

He has made it his mission to celebrate the human body and to try to enlighten the public - and the authorities - that the freedom to go naked in public is a basic human right.

To that end, he has been steadily hiking northwards since the middle of June, wearing only boots, a floppy hat, a rucksack and his birthday suit.

As could be expected, his journey has not been without its tribulations.

The father-of-two, from Eastleigh, near Southampton, needed four stitches after one man attacked him and he has had several run-ins with the police.

Although Mr Gough is not letting on where his hike has taken him, police confirmed they had received sightings in North Yorkshire.

The description appeared to match Mr Gough's appearance and prompted stern warnings that cheeky walkers should put some clothes on.

After reaching Scotland he was arrested, interviewed by a team of psychiatrists and then flown back down to Cornwall, where he had missed a court hearing.

Now he is believed to be hitching his way north again to resume his naked trek where it left off.

On his website, Mr Gough explains why he has set himself the task.

He said: "My naked activism is firstly and most importantly about me standing up for myself, a declaration of myself as a beautiful human being, an expression of my 'OK-ness' in the face of so much self-hate."

However, the police repeated their warnings against naked rambling.

They said: "It doesn't matter how hot it is - we do not condone walking with no clothes on."