Up to 30 hardy exhibitionists braved bitingly cold wind and rain to bare all in a naked flash mob on a beach.

The stunt was staged in Hastings, East Sussex, in an effort to attract acclaimed photographer Spencer Tunick to the seaside town. The resort’s Jerwood Gallery is on a three-strong shortlist, alongside venues in Folkestone, Kent, and Brighton, vying to host American Tunick, famed for mass nude photoshoots.

Against the backdrop of Hastings’ fishing boats in the Old Town area, people disrobed in an attempt to win the public vote contest, organised by Culture 24. (PA)

Viking ‘ship’ set for display

The surviving timbers of the longest Viking warship ever found are set to go on display in the UK for the first time.

The ship, known as Roskilde 6, was excavated from the banks of Roskilde fjord in Denmark in 1997. The timbers have been conserved and analysed by the National Museum of Denmark, and the surviving timbers – approximately 20 per cent of the original ship – have now been re-assembled for display in a specially made stainless steel frame that reconstructs the full size and shape of the original ship. The construction of the ship has been dated to around AD 1025, the high point of the Viking Age.

The 37-metre-long ship will go on display as part of an exhibition, Vikings: life and legend, at the British Museum in London. The exhibition will run from March 6 until June 22. (PA)

Judge takes break in Kit Kat ruling

A judge deliberating on a legal dispute relating to the shape of a Kit Kat has decided to have a break – and wait for a decision from a European court.

Mr Justice Arnold is analysing a High Court argument between confectionery giants Nestle – which sells Kit Kat bars – and Cadbury. Nestle wants to register the three-dimensional shape of a Kit Kat as a trademark. Cadbury has objected.

The judge heard legal argument from both sides at a hearing in London outlined his thoughts in a published ruling. He said aspects of European trademark law were “unclear” and he would seek clarification from the Court of Justice in the European Union. (PA)

Haunted house by night

Pennsylvania homeowners Gregory and Sandi Leeson found their 113-year-old Victorian home creepy so when they put the house up for sale they advertised it as “slightly haunted”.

Then things got really weird. They had lots of calls from ghost hunters and curiosity seekers, but no legitimate buyers. And a former resident came out of the woodwork to say that when he was a child, he found a human skull in the basement.

Now the Leesons say if the house does not sell, they might consider renting it out – by the night – to people looking for spooky thrills. (PA)

Putin warns gays at Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin says gays should feel welcome at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but they must “leave the children in peace”.

Putin told volunteers yesterday that gays visiting Sochi “can feel calm and at ease,” and vowed that there would be no discrimination at the games.

But he emphasised that, according to a law banning homosexual “propaganda” among minors, gays cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone under age.

Putin and other politicians have defended the June propaganda law as a protection of child rights, but critics believe that the law discriminates against sexual minorities.

In the wake of international outcry against the bill, Russian authorities have put limits on the right to protest during the Sochi games, which run from February 7-23. (AP)