A woman dressed as a tree walking around Southampton city centre has caused a stir.

Wearing a pair of nude high heels, the fashionable flora could be seen strutting down Above Bar Street yesterday afternoon.

It did not take long for the unusual sight to get people talking, with Snapchat, local Facebook groups and Instagram awash with videos taken of the branchy bombshell.

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The question on everyone's lips was why?

As ever, social media users came up with a range of suggestions - from the likely to the downright daft.

Amanda Clarke quipped: "Think she was branching out."

Jokester Rachel Gregan added: "Because she wanted to leaf a lasting impression!"

"Maybe she was on a hen do," Ricky Batten suggested.

But the most likely theory came from another reader who commented on our Facebook post.

She believed it could be promotion for the musical Spamalot, which was being performed at the MAST Mayflower Studios in Above Bar Street from 24 January until yesterday.

"It was brilliant entertainment", she said of the show, performed by SOS Presents.

Southampton’s oldest musical society, the group celebrates its centenary this year.