Jodie Kidd banned from using naked bottom sign at her 'the Half Moon' pub after locals complained

Jodie Kidd has been forced to remove an "inappropriate" sign from her pub after locals complained to the council.

The former model-turned-publican was using a cheeky painting of herself in the nude outside The Half Moon in West Sussex. But not everyone was a fan of the eye-catching sign with some people complaining that it wasn't in keeping with the pub's 16th century style.

Her portrait was part of a series of pub signs designed to get tongues wagging, including ‘The Cricketers’, reimagined by artist Reuben Dangoor, starring a batsman saving his blushes with a strategically placed bat. The eleven-piece collection includes a new view of 'Queen Victoria', created by Sam Rees-Price, and a new portrait of HRH King Charles for 'The Kings Head' by Heath Kane, that has been unveiled ahead of the coronation in May.

The nude signs are available for online auction, and prints of each are also available to buy, with all profits being donated to Hospitality Action to assist pubs with rising energy bills. Funds raised by the collection, inspired by Stella Artois Unfiltered, will also see up to £50,000 donated in matched funds by the lager brand.

Jodie Kidd removes the cheeky sign

The former model, who swapped the catwalks in Paris to pull pints, has had to remove her sign from The Half Moon after residents kicked-up a fuss. The Mail Online reports that Jodie said: "Villagers thought it wasn't fitting for a 16th century pub to have an a*** hanging out.

"They complained and the council told us to take it down. The campaign was there to raise money for people in the industry suffering as a result of rising energy bills. I was proud to be part of the campaign.

"If they didn't understand it was for charity and helping the hospitality industry, then I'm sure they were thinking 'why is our landlady getting her butt cheeks out? They must have thought 'she's gone completely mad'."

Stella Artois launched campaign to 'raise as much money as possible'

The controversial sign at Jodie Kidd's The Half Moon pub was part of a campaign launched by Stella Artois. The lager brand also commissioned research which revealed the pub is still at the heart of the community for 55% of Brits.

In the poll of 2,000 adults, 77% said it is ‘sad to see’ so many nearby watering holes closing down in recent years - as data, from Hospitality Action, revealed applications for financial support are up by 29% from the previous year. More than four in 10 (43%) think pubs can be a lifeline for members of their community, and 42% feel they are a great place for everyone to come together.

But with so many struggling, one in three pop in to do their bit to keep their local afloat, and 55% have called on the Government to do more to support the hospitality industry. Meg Chadwick, from Stella Artois, said: “As a brand committed to tackling big issues within our communities, we wanted to offer our support to pubs during this challenging time.

“As bastions of British culture, pubs deserve to be valued as much as any piece of art hanging in a gallery, which is why we wanted to use this traditional medium - albeit with a cheeky twist - to support them. We want to raise as much money as possible so art and pub lovers - buy nude art, help pubs.”

The research also revealed the memorable moments the nation has had in pubs, with 27% trying to impress someone on a first date in a free house. New friendships blossomed over a drink for 35%, as well as new relationships for 25%.

While 12% even went on to marry someone they met at a nearby tavern. It also emerged 41% think it is a rite of passage to watch significant cultural events in a pub.