World Naked Bike Ride has returned to central London once again after being cancelled due to the Covid pandemic last year.

Hundreds of cyclists bared it all as they rode from Victoria Park to Hyde Park wearing nothing but smiles and, in some cases, face masks.

The reasons the bikers were in their birthday suits was not starkly obvious, with a number of causes being promoted by those taking their kit off.

The protests included ecological causes, embracing body positivity, medical freedom and better treatment for cyclists – alongside those who take part simply for the thrill.

Eric Collins, a veteran naked cyclist who was doing his fifth iteration of the event, told PA: “[The ride] protests car culture, oil dependency, proper rights for cyclists and advocates for body freedom.

“For me personally, having had five collisions on my bicycle – two of which were serious, I’m really here for cycle safety.

“The reason we do it naked is to attract more attention because if we all did it clothed nobody will pay attention”.

The World Naked Bike Ride was set up in 2003 to protest against car dependency and has since spread to cities around the globe with the bare-all cyclists now a familiar sight to Londoners.