Posters of Hollywood heartthrobs Brad Pitt and George Clooney are the latest fad to hit the walls of gynecologist offices across the United Kingdom, in an attempt to help calm the nerves of patients who come in for their regular check-ups.

The aim is to take patients' minds off the intimate procedures being carried out at the clinics at Leigh Infirmary, Wigan in England.

A spokesperson for Wigan's NHS Trust said: "There used to be a poster of a polar bear up there, but then some patients said they would like to see pictures of men.

"The posters are in the coloscopy clinic where ladies go for examinations. Patients can be lying on their backs for up to 15 minutes while procedures are carried out"

One woman attending the ward as a day patient said: "The pictures are a great idea: "They are something pleasant to look at while you're lying there. It's a nice distraction."

Other pin-ups include British soccer star David Beckham and Desperate Housewife actor Jesse Metcalfe.