Madrid officials are being urged to ban men from spreading their legs on the city's train network - a practice known as manspreading.

A group of women called Mujeres en Lucha have launched a campaign to stop male commuters taking up so much room on public transport.

They want Madrid City Hall to put up posters in the hope those guilty of manspreading will be more mindful of other passengers.

Madrid officials are being urged to ban men from spreading their legs on the city's train network - a practice known as manspreading (file picture)

It comes after politicians in the left wing CUP party called for a campaign to end the practice.

Mujeres en Lucha's online petition, called #MadridSinManspreading criticises the 'attitude' of men who sit with their legs open wide 'occupying the space of others'.

'It is not something that occurs sporadically, if you look, you will realise that it is a very common practice.

'It is not difficult to see women with their legs closed and very uncomfortable because there is a man next to her who is invading her space.'

The petition added: 'The idea is that society understands that it is necessary to act against this type of practices, to raise awareness and to spread this to all the countries of Europe.

'That is why we also ask the Autonomous Community of Madrid to place posters on the Madrid metro to raise awareness of these same attitudes.'

Manspreading was taken up at party political level in Spain as recently as April when the left-wing CUP called for a campaign to combat the practice.

A group of women called Mujeres en Lucha have launched a campaign to stop male commuters taking up so much room on public transport (file picture)

It was branded an 'exhibition of machismo and a micro-aggression that can make the person suffering it uncomfortable', according to iNews.

The matter has made headlines in other countries in recent years.

In 2014, men taking the New York subway were also asked to sit more considerately.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled public service advertisements aimed at men who hog an unfair amount of space on packed subway trains.

A poster read: 'Dude...Stop the Spread, Please', alongside an image of two subway commuters forced to stand because a man is sitting in the typical 'manspread stance - legs splayed into a wide V-shape.