Two women who sat naked in Manchester city centre smeared in strawberry jam did so ‘in the name of art’.

Startled crowds watched the pair as they wiped bread on each other and proceeded to eat it.

The sticky stunt in Market Street on Wednesday was an exercise in ‘artistic expression’, according to Greater Manchester Police, reports the BBC.

In a tweet, Insp John Middleton quipped: ‘I hope this isn't the start of a new craze that starts to spread.’

Baffled pedestrians cracked jokes and speculated about the unusual lunchtime show on social media.

One tweeted: ‘Not every day u see two naked women rubbing jam over themselves in market street yeah.’

While another said it was a ‘physical demonstration of the terrible traffic issues in Manchester- human Jam, go see it! It's berry good!’

No action was taken against the women, who were told by city centre officers to cover up.