Naturists in Kent have staged a protest at Foreness Point near Botany Bay - the 'traditional' naturist beach where Thanet District Council is attempting to ban nudity.
Photographs of the protestors, discreetly posing behind placards, were published in a broadly supportive article in the local Thanet Times newspaper.
One of the protestors, Gemma Morgan, was quoted as saying:
"What the Council is proposing is to effectively criminalise another group who are doing nothing wrong, meanwhile letting the yobs and delinquents continue to get away whit violent and other serious crime"
Peter Checksfield, a well-known local photographer and "the unofficial spokesman of all things naked in Thanet" said:
" [Jemma] was outraged when she read The Thanet Times article about the beach (which has been 'naturist' ever since she can remember), so got in touch with me with her idea. She & her friends don't even consider themselves naturists - they just like the idea that they can sit around or swim without clothes if they wish to."
"It's only a few local prudes who don't like it - come on Thanet Council, give us our beach back"
In a useful 'side bar' to its news story, the Thanet Times included a brief guide to the law in England stating - quite correctly - that if there is no intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress, public nudity is not, of itself, an offence.
(More complete advice about legal issues is available in our "Naturism and the Law" section.)
Thanet Council - which claims that the 'no nudity' signs were erected following complaints from "several" people - was unable to comment on the protest.
Local campaigners have not been able to find out just how many people "several" might actually be....
Naturist are encouraged to contact Thanet District Council and support continued use of Foreness Point for lawful nude sunbathing and swimming.
Please send (polite) emails to the Council's Principal Leisure Officer, Joe McCarthy:
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