Officers had been called to a pub in the town of Humpty Doo, east of Darwin, after reports of a disturbance, but were greeted by an enthusiastic group of women who shouted that the strippers had arrived and tried to pull their shirts off.

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The excitable ladies attempted to take the Palmerston police officers shirts off when they entered the bar, Watch Commander Louise Jorgensen said.

"The girls were in fine form and they nearly had their shirts taken off but they managed to escape with their dignity intact," a news website quoted Senior Sergeant Jorgensen as saying.

Senior Sergeant Bob Harrison said the police were responding to reports that about 10 people at the pub were arguing about 10.40 pm.

But when they entered they were surrounded by the amorous women.

"They were mistaken for strippers - I don''t know any strippers that wear accoutrements belts and turn up in a police car," he said.