If you want to wander around your garden naked and you are overlooked by neighbours then you have to be careful - an Englishman's home is not quite his castle and your garden is not exempt from the law.

In the real world, however, you would be well advised to take some simple precautions, including explaining to your neighbours that:

• you want to sunbathe without clothes but,
• you have no wish to offend or upset them
• you will be discreet
• you hope they have no objection.

Confining you naturism to a part of the garden which can be screened from their view will obviously solve the problem.

If none of the above is possible, you will have to decide whether your desire to be naked in your garden is more important to you than being on friendly terms with those around you. While the police may well be reluctant to become involved in a dispute between neighbours they are bound to investigate an allegation of "indecent exposure" or "outraging public decency".

If the worst happens and the Police were called, you would be advised to make it clear that all reasonable steps had been taken to prevent someone from seeing and that there was no intention to insult or to cause anyone alarm or distress.

On the other hand, no-one has the right to spy on you and if you find that your neighbour is leaning out of an upstairs window or standing on the top of a step ladder in order to see you then he or she may well be committing an offence.