British Naturists Threatened With Arrest

New warning signs have been placed on a Yorkshire beach, threatening anyone sunbathing in the nude with arrest and prosecution, even though there are no laws against nudity in Great Britain.

Fun (Fraisthorpe United Naturists) spokesman Max Pratt, 34, of Dore, Sheffield, and other protesters, however, deny they are doing anything wrong. He said: "In June 2007 representatives of the Yorkshire naturist community met Humberside Police diversity unit. "As far as they are concerned nude use of the beach is within the law.

They said they would not do anything about it. Through a Freedom of Information Act request to East Riding Council we discovered they had had one complaint in two years before the signs went up.

"That happened further down the beach, away from the naturist area. The signs are a slur and imply the naked human body is indecent when there is nothing indecent about it at all.

"The signs are beyond the law and the council has gone beyond its powers trying to stop something the law says is legal."

It has always puzzled me how the law can prohibit "indecent exposure" without acknowledging that the implication of such language is that the opposite exists: "decent exposure".

The situation appears to be similar to what is now happening in California with San Onofre State Beach, where the Department of Parks and Recreation abruptly revoked the clothing-optional status of the area.

The British naturists appear to be well-organized, determined, and have law and precedent on their side. Hopefully the California naturists are fueled with the same passion.

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