Six scantily-clad girls caused a massive tail-back on the beach-side road in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria as drivers slowed down to gawp as they strolled along in their bathing costumes, Al Wafd newspaper reported Sunday.

Police tried to restore order by escorting the girls into a shop and asking them to put some clothes on, the opposition newspaper said.

Traffic on the Corniche by Miami beach in Alexandria only got back to normal an hour later, according to the paper which did not specify if they were wearing bikinis or one-piece costumes in the sweltering heat.

Western-style bathing suits are not forbidden in Egypt, a highly conservative country, but it is rare to see them on public beaches where most women go for a dip either fully clothed or wearing "Islamic swimsuits," a kind of sporty over-garment.

Women are free to swim and sunbathe less hindered by clothing on the private beaches west of Alexandria, such as Agami, and at resorts populated by foreign tourists on the Red Sea coasts.

(Agencies)