Bus Driver Says 'Kilt Wearing Scots are Lucky'

A bus driver in the northern Swedish town of Umea has begun wearing a skirt to work as temperatures sore past 25C. Mats Lundgren decided to find a trouser alternative when his boss turned down his request to wear shorts to work, stating he was fed up of sitting in the drivers' seat for hours at a time in dark uniform trousers.

"The Scottish are very lucky to be able to wear kilts all the time," he said - adding he was not trying to imitate all of the traditions that come with wearing one. Mr Lundgren is exploiting a loophole in the firm's dress code, which allows skirts to be worn but does not specify which sex should be wearing them.

"The reaction here has been nice - the passengers all smile and my workmates think it's hilarious, but I don't expect to set a trend among them," he told BBC News Online. "I wore it all day yesterday. It was very nice to have a bit of a breeze."

As Mr Lundgren settles into the driver's seat, the navy blue skirt slides up his thighs just above his bony knees, revealing a pair of hairy white legs. "It's even better than shorts. It's unbearable driving a bus in long trousers when the sun is blazing through the windscreen, but with the skirt it feels just great," he says.

"I am divorced, so I had to borrow the skirt from a friend. Unfortunately, she is a couple of sizes smaller than me, which means I have to squeeze into it," he added.

Rolf Persson, managing director of Umea's transport authority said he was surprised to see Mr Lundgren dressed this way. But his hands were tied, he said, as careful perusal of regulations produced no mention of rules about men in skirts.