POT bellies and pasty bare chests on display would be enough to put most people off their shopping.

So when temperatures soared tempting locals to strip off, bosses at Kingsgate shopping centre decided to issue a warning to men daring to bare – put your shirts back on!

Signs have been put up on all the doors flanking the main entrance of the King Street precinct telling the public: “Shirts or tops should be worn at all times whilst in Kingsgate.”

Management at the centre were unavailable for comment on why they decided to issue shoppers with the naked truth that they preferred midriffs to be covered up.

But Sgt John McFadzean from Huddersfield town centre policing team, believes it’s more to do with saving shoppers’ blushes rather than antisocial behaviour.

He said: “It’s the centre’s decision and we’ve had no input with it, but as far as I’m aware there’s not been any complaints to do with lads with their tops off or any antisocial behaviour.

“I think it’s more about how people look and are perceived as opposed to anything else. It’s simply to try and keep the ambience of the place.

“As the weather gets warmer people are tempted to take their tops off but the management has obviously decided that this doesn’t look right in a family environment.”

Town centre police work closely with the centre and would step in if staff had problems enforcing any rules.

But it is up to shops and pubs if they want to impose dress codes.

Sgt McFadzean said: “We work closely with the centre and if we were asked to step in we would, but it would be a more softly softly approach asking people to put their shirts back on.

“The centre is quite good and hasn’t had a lot of problems with antisocial behaviour or kids hanging about like some other shopping centres.

“A few places in Huddersfield have their own clothing policies – some of the bars ask customers not to wear things like hooded tops – but that’s up to them and we would help them with that.”

Bluewater shopping centre hit the headlines when it banned hooded tops, baseball caps and swearing as part of a crackdown an anti-social behaviour.