A male strip-o-gram had to perform in the street when a hen party was left waiting

outside for a restaurant table.

Bride-to-be Ellen Barnett and 14 friends, aged 18 to 70, claim they were left waiting 45 minutes on Saturday night because the table they had booked a fortnight earlier wasn't ready.

And when a surprise strip-o-gram arrived at the Al Duomo Italian restaurant in Pavilion Buildings, near the Royal Pavilion, he had to strip to his G-string on the pavement.

The hen party, including Ellen's 70-year-old prospective mother-in-law, enjoyed the entertainment but finally gave up the wait for their table and were welcomed instead at the nearby Ha! Ha! bar-restaurant.

Ellen, a 25-year-old clerk at Brighton police station, said: "It was disappointing we had to wait so long but it didn't spoil my evening."

Al Duomo manager Tony Crescenzo apologised to the party but explained the restaurant had been swamped when an extra 13 people joined a party of 20.

He said the hen party waited only 30 minutes but stressed he wanted to maintain good relations.

He added: "If they call me I will arrange free meals and drinks for them."