Naked hikers in Dorset, England have complained about the way police handled the marshalling of their charity walk.

The nude ramblers, numbering about 20, were en route on a 2-mile hike in Dorset to raise money for the Marine Conservation Society when they were reportedly followed by 10 officers, patrol cars and a helicopter on the trek.

A senior police said they decided to marshal the group under a carefully planned operation codenamed Thistle after it was decided the nudists posed a public risk.

Halfway through the walk Bernard Boase, 63, was arrested after refusing to cover up by a police officer.

Boase was charged with harassment, but the case was later dropped because of a lack of evidence.

"The police harassed us far more than we could have harassed anybody else by our presence," said Boase. "The second shift of officers got very heavy-handed, going up to passers-by suggesting that they might like to make complaints."

"The Jurassic Coastal Path is a busy tourist area with the path being used by more than 200 people on a summer Saturday, including significant numbers of children and older people," a Dorset Police spokesman said.

"We received a total of 18 complaints from the public about nudity during the walk."