London, July 1 Almost half of British women are ashamed of their legs, and six out of ten are too mortified to wear skirts and dresses publicly, suggests a new study.

According to the survey, headed by Venaforce, a total of 47 per cent of UK's ladies would prefer to wrap their legs, and one in six would not show their pins to their partners.

Cellulite, varicose veins, excess fat or being too pale were accorded as the top reasons why women feared showing their legs.

Experts found that 63 per cent of the 4,000 women questioned thought that they would be more confident if they were happier with their legs.

While 28 per cent of women said that they were too conscious to sport a bikini on holiday, 49 per cent chose to wrap a sarong to hide them up or use a towel at the pool.

The study further found that women would fret about their legs at least twice a day, and spend an hour and a half wondering about their legs, weight and dress size.

"It's saddening to hear how many women hate their legs and it seems that often this comes down to a lack of confidence," the Telegraph quoted Psychologist Corinne Sweet as saying. (ANI)