MEN are being told to keep their shirts on this summer as Adventure Island brings in a dress code to spare the blushes of families.

The amusement park is bringing in a Wear Your Shirt rule and urging men to stay covered up– even if the temperatures sizzle.

Bosses at the Southend seafront fun park are following in the footsteps of the majority of American theme parks, which already have the informal dress code, in a bid to further enhance the family-friendly nature of the business and maintain standards.

Marc Miller, managing director of Adventure Island, said: “We don’t have a strict dress code as such, but would like our male customers to show some decorum.

“In recent years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of lads and men whipping their tops off, eager to make the most of the sun – which is understandable, of course, as Southend is the warmest and driest part of the UK.

“That’s absolutely fine in the right environment, but we try very hard to be a family-focused business and not everybody is a fan of bare chests. We simply want to make sure that Adventure Island maintains its status as the best place to bring the whole family for a fun, safe, reasonably-priced great day out.”

Signs are now being put up around the park and security staff will politely challenge individuals who have removed their tops and ask them to put them back on again. Those who refuse will be asked to leave.

Mr Miller added: “Of course, we don’t want people to think we’re introducing a nightclub-style policy of no jeans or trainers. There definitely won’t be Adventure Island fashion police criticising people for wearing double denim combinations, spots with stripes or inappropriate shades of purple.

“We’ll simply point out that if you want to pose semi-naked, then Southend has miles of glorious beaches on which to do that.”