A slender female figure, draped in sexy underwear, standing on a Malmesbury street corner, has been causing quite a stir this week.

Belle, as she is known to close friends, is not a lady of the night but a mannequin belonging to Beau Belle Lingerie, in Market Cross.

Sue Lehrer and Dee Harris, owners of the women’s underwear store, which opened last year, have taken to dressing Belle up in the latest bedroom fashion and sending her out onto the pavement.

What started as an attempt to bring in a few extra customers has escalated, with tourists posing for pictures with her – and she has even attracted complaints from concerned parents.

Mrs Harris said: “We decided to put the mannequin outside to try and raise the profile of the shop.

“We are down a little walkway so we wanted more people to realise we are there.

“We couldn’t believe it when we noticed that people had started stopping to have their photos taken with Belle.

“There was even a bus-load of Chinese tourists that got out to be pictured with her.

“And one mum complained to us about how skimpy the mannequin’s lingerie was and asked if we could change the thong she was wearing for a bigger pair.

“People probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid in a big city at this sort of thing but it has been funny to see the reaction we have got in a small town like Malmesbury.”

The ladies said they are delighted it has caused such a sensation, though they did agree to changing the thong for something less revealing, as many children pass by the shop every day.

Mrs Harris said: “From our perspective it has been great.

“Lots of people have supported us, including members of the town council, who suggested we could move her around town to different locations.

“Lots of people have popped in to talk to us about it.

“And the men in the pub opposite like the mannequin because they get to look at ladies’ underwear all day.

“People have even taken to calling her the Malmesbury Mann-equin – she may well end up with her own Twitter or Facebook page before long.”