Gardening can be a great opportunity to get outside, feel the earth under you feet, the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin.

Ipswich Star: London Road Allotments in Ipswich Picture ADAM HOWETTLondon Road Allotments in Ipswich Picture ADAM HOWETT

But one Ipswich allotment owner has taken things a step further – and has been seen nude as they tend to their patch.

Reports of a person fully exposed on the field on the edge of town has led Ipswich Borough Council to advise public allotment users to keep their clothes on while on site.

The incident is said to have occurred at the town’s London Road allotment field.

Rain had deterred many of the fairweather gardeners on Thursday morning – but braving the weather and appropriately dressed in a cap, waterproof, jeans and boots was Ken Mann.

“I’ve never seen anyone in the nude here,” said Mr Mann, 65, of Dickens Road.

“It’s definitely not for me.

“You’ve got women and children coming here and flats that overlook it – it’s really not a thing you can do on this allotment.”

Mr Mann, 65, of Dickens Road, thought the anonymous allotment naturist might have been put off by the rain, as they have previously been sighted during the heat of June and July.

“I’ve had patches in this allotments for years and I’ve been away for the last two months after injuring my back,” he said. “But I’d never heard about a naked gardener coming here before now.”

Another gardener, wearing a fleece and shorts, could not believe that someone would bare all in a public place like a community vegetable patch.

A council spokesman said: “We know the weather has been hot but we hope all gardeners will spare their neighbour’s blushes.

“It’s not just modesty, it’s also the danger of sun burn or bee stings.”

The council have instructed rangers patrolling the allotment and other open spaces to be particularly vigilant for green-fingered bare bottoms.

In the allotment code published on the council website, there is no explicit rule against using the allotments or fields while naked.

As well as this, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, it is legal to be naked in a public place if a person’s intentions are limited to going about their lawful business.

It would seem that you need to know your onions if you are going to strip off in your vegetable patch.