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Botany Bay - Council's Position Becomes Clearer PDF Print

Enquiries made with Thanet District Council have confirmed their reported position on naturists who use the "traditionally tolerated" beach at Foreness Point - part of Botany Bay near Margate in North-East Kent.

Earlier this year local naturists reported that signs had been erected promising to prosecute nude bathers:

"Please be advised that nude sunbathing is not permitted on this beach at
any time. Failure to comply with these instructions will result in prosecution."

NUFF has received reports that the signs have now disappeared - possibly as a result of vandalism.

In an exchange of letters with Reg Barlow, the Council's 'Principal Leisure Officer' Joe McCarthy has confirmed that there is no local byelaw prohibiting nude bathing at Botany Bay. Instead they intend to rely on the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 which the council claims makes it an offence for a person to "wilfully and indecently" expose themselves in a public place.

Mr. McCarthy alleges that the Council has received "numerous telephone calls" from the public about naturists at Botany Bay but staff sent to investigate these complaints had so far failed find to anyone. Exactly how many complaints have been received has yet to be revealed.

Letters about the established naturist use of Foreness Point which were sent to Councillor Roger Latchford, Thanet's cabinet member for commercial services (including the beaches) in June and July of 2006 have remained unanswered.

Despite their belief that naturists using local beaches are breaking the law, the Thanet Council have apparently not called in the Police to investigate.

This surprising state of affairs may be explained by the expressed view of local Police that naturists are unlikely to be committing an offence. In correspondence with local naturists last year a Chief Superintendent from East Kent Police Area wrote:

"Clearly the police would be under a duty to investigate and bring to justice people who commit these types of offences, (Public Nuisance and Outraging Public Decency) however, this would be wholly dependent on the intent or behaviour of the person who was naked, therefore I would think it highly unlikely this would apply to genuine naturists."

According to locals, when the Police did visit Foreness Point on one occasion last summer, the only action they took was to advise naturists to be discreet and avoid giving offence.

Malcolm Boura, BN's Research and Liaison Officer, is now planning to write to Thanet Council's Chief Executive in the hope that this issue will be quickly resolved and the threat to law-abiding naturists removed.

Local beach users with first-hand knowledge of Foreness Point are encouraged to contact NUFF to exchange information.
 
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