A naked statue of Donald Trump, complete with bulging belly and elaborate yellow hair, caused laughter and merriment in New York on Thursday until it was ripped up by park wardens.

Hands clasped across ample belly, the sculpture was unveiled in Union Square, gazing out across the busy street with an engraved plaque saying The Emperor Has No Balls, witnesses said.

Indecline, a California-based company, released a video on their website showing a naked statue of the controversial Republican presidential nominee being made.

But New Yorks department of parks and recreation was unimpressed. Wardens ripped the statue from its base, then used spades to smash its feet and foam base to smithereens, and pry its metal platform from the ground.

Parks has removed the sculpture," a spokesperson for the citys department of parks and recreation was quoted as saying by AFP. The installation of any unapproved structure or artwork in a city park is illegal.

Throughout the morning, passers-by stopped to take photographs, pose for selfies or laugh at the depiction of the New York billionaire.