When it comes to making embarrassing gaffes, few in public life can match Mexican mayor Hilario Ramirez Villanueva.

Already in hot water over admitting it was okay to steal - as long as it was only a little bit - he's now caused anger by flashing a young girl's bum on stage during his recent birthday party on the Pacific coast.

To make matters worse, he then sent domestic appliances to women who complained.

Mexican mayor Hilario Ramirez Villanueva is in hot water after exposing a girl's knickers to a crowd of 50,000 during his birthday celebrations

Local media said the young woman was a teenager under the age of 18, but there was little public criticism

The faux pas occurred when 44-year-old Villanueva, who is mayor of the city of San Blas, was invited to perform on stage with the band El Recodo.

He was filmed dancing with a young girl as the group played then, as members of the 50,000-strong audience cheered, he lifted her skirt up, exposing her knickers.

Local media said the young woman was a teenager under the age of 18, but there was little public criticism of him.

After the tactless stunt he was bombarded with complaints from women's groups, but he exacerbated the issue by sending them irons and other domestic appliances such as refrigerators and cookers.

The girl was clearly embarrassed and immediately pulled her skirt down afterwards

Villanueva was previously in the public spotlight when he admitted that during his first term as mayor he had stolen 'just a little bit' of cash from the public purse

He said that he recognised the equality of women with men 'and their right to develop as a person'.

He was previously in the public spotlight when he admitted that during his first term as mayor, when he was a member of the right-wing political party PAN (National Action Party), he had stolen 'just a little bit' of cash from the public purse.

Yet there were no official sanctions following the confession by Villanueva, nicknamed locally as 'Layin'.

Birthday party reveller Irineo Galindo, 39, who was interviewed by local TV, said: 'I don't care what they say about him, he knows how to throw a good party. And that gets my vote in any election.'

The party was reportedly kept moving not only by the band, but by the fact that the politician had provided 1,200,000 beers and meat from 50 cows that were butchered and roasted.