Naughty knitted figures with full frontal nudity sparks controversy at West Country café

A cheeky display of knitted figures featuring full frontal nudity has caused quite a commotion at a West Country café. The handcrafted creations, the product of The Hive cafe and haberdashery's weekly knitting circle in Shepton Mallet, have drawn criticism and ignited a fiery debate on social media platforms.

The risqué collection, including a well-endowed policeman, vicar, Rastafarian, bearded man, and a woman, was showcased in the window of The Hive, a beloved craft café and community hub situated on High St in Shepton Mallet. However, the display didn't sit well with one local resident, who expressed concern about her grandchildren being exposed to the figures' genitals on their school route.

With two schools located just around the corner from The Hive, the concerned grandmother took to social media to voice her unease. She said: "Just wondering about the thought process of the Hive Shepton in displaying characters with their genitals on display. All this with two schools around the corner."

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Her post quickly went viral, amassing over 400 comments on Facebook, predominantly defending the café and its controversial figures. One supporter said: "Oh dear there's always one, where's your sense of humour, lighten up."

In response to the uproar, Mike Alford, the owner of The Hive, has since covered up the contentious characters. Meanwhile, supporters have rallied behind a campaign dubbed 'Free the Hive Five', advocating for the figures to be revealed once again in all their knitted splendour, reports Somerset Live.

These five characters were all crafted by the dedicated members of The Hive's Thursday night knitting group.

Sandra Witcombe, the creative force behind the knitted characters, said: "It was just a bit of fun, a bit of a laugh for the people of Shepton. They are actually quite difficult to make, it can take hours.

"The private parts are easy but the rest of it and the construction can take a long time. All the genitals have to be the same size, you have to knit it to the pattern so they are all equal, nobody is made to feel inadequate."

The group of knitters crafted the five figures as a quirky fundraising effort for the Dorset and Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and the buzz has drawn many curious visitors to the café.

Sandra added: "It is a wonderful place, so popular and well used by people, anyone can come to the knitting group, there is also crochet and other crafts and the food in the café is wonderful. Michael and his mum Marie do a great job, it is a real hub in the High St."

At the time of going to press, the five figures remained under wraps, yet locals believe unveiling them could bring joy and support the air ambulance charity. The inspiration and patterns for the risque creations came from Nudinits.

Despite the attention, Sandra confirmed that no further risque knits are on the horizon, saying: "They are just too hard to make, I won't be making any more."