A council has ordered an elderly man to remove his mooning gnomes due to health and safety.

Laurence Perry, 77, placed the two garden ornaments outside his home in Wistaston near Nantwich, Cheshire, but received a letter saying the miniature statues with their trousers down can cause a ''distraction'' to motorists, the Mirror Online has reported.

Speaking about the incident, Laurence said: ''I feel very disappointed. My daughter bought them for Father's Day as a bit of fun as she knows I like a laugh.

''I've worked with others for four years to turn a piece of land which had been left overgrown, covered in broken bottles and bricks, into a more attractive area.''

Laurence was subsequently ordered to remove his possessions within seven days or the council will get a workman to remove them, which he will have to pay for.