It's not the uniform

[Gob]

A police community support officer was mistaken for a stripogram when he accidentally stumbled in on a 50th birthday party in Wiltshire.

PCSO Mike Ober was on foot patrol in Bradford-on-Avon on Saturday when he spotted an open door at a social club.

Going in to investigate, he was greeted by a group of women who "went wild with excitement" thinking he was the male stripper they had ordered.

He said: "The party was about to get started and they thought I was early."

He added: "I had to beat a hasty retreat."

Mr Ober, who is in his mid-20s and engaged, said the social club was not normally used at the weekend, so he had decided to "poke his head round the door" and investigate.

"There were no cars in the car park and the door was propped open," he said.

"But as I went in there were loud cheers and someone shouted: "Oh, are you the stripogram?"

After being told he was too early and to come back later, Mr Ober walked away, passing the real stripper on his way in.

"It's a matter of personal taste, but the uniforms aren't very flattering, so I guess [the mix-up] is flattering," he said.