A coffee shop with topless waitresses, which has caused a storm of protest in a small town, has been forced to close after it put up a 'boobies wanted' sign.

Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine, hit the headlines when it opened in 2009, offering to serve customers semi-nude.
And despite a wave of protest from local campaigners in its home town of fewer than 5,000 people - and one high profile arson attack - the shop had until now, managed to keep business going.

But the controversial store's topless waitresses will finally have to get dressed and leave after town officials ruled that it has been putting up signs illegally.

Bosses insist the order has nothing to do with the shop's nudity policy - or the fact that the signs offered a topless car wash and advertised: 'Boobies wanted'.

They say simply putting up the new signs without permission violated zoning rules.

Donald Crabtree, the owner of Grand View Coffee Shop, which uses topless male and female waiters, said he had given up after fighting to exist for two years.

'I wanted to have some fun; I wanted to see people smile,' he told local paper the Maine Morning Sentinel. 'I started the topless coffee shop to do that, and it did. But now my smile's gone.