Officials erected a sign at Corton Beach, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, accusing naturists of ‘lewd behaviour’ and threatening to report them to the police for ‘causing an offence’.
A spokesperson for East Suffolk Council said: ‘I can confirm that we have requested removal of a sign placed, without relevant permissions, on a signpost on East Suffolk council land.’.
The following year East Suffolk Council (then known as Waveney District Council) clarified that nude sunbathing ‘is not an illegal activity’ nor banned at Corton under local bye-laws.
The parish council insists that the sign is correctly worded, suggesting it was trying to combat a rise in X-rated activities that fall outside the realm of nude sunbathing and skinny dipping.
British Naturism has responded by accusing the council of misleading people by failing to distinguish naturism from unlawful ‘lewd’ behaviour, which it is ‘absolutely equally committed’ to stamping out.
