Time called on Valentine's Day nudist night
Naturism campaigners will complain to Chief Constable Peter Maddison after police stepped in at the 11th hour to warn against a Valentine's Day "nude corner" taking place at a Northamptonshire pub.
Malcolm Boura, a research and liaison officer at Northampton-based British Naturism, said his organisation would be making a formal approach to Mr Maddison after The White Horse pub in Stocks Hill, Silverstone, was served a notice by police that the one-off event – reported in Wednesday's Chronicle & Echo – could be an offence under section 66 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Mr Boura said: "If it's on private premises and people are warned, it's completely legal. There's no way whatsoever that section 66 could apply because unless there's an intention there to cause alarm or distress, it's not an offence.
"If the police are seeking to rely on that, they're overstepping the mark and it's undoubtedly discrimination. We're very annoyed indeed at how often police officers assume naturism is an offence. I will write to the Chief Constable and the reply will determine the steps that follow."
Mr Boura said British Naturism had lobbied Parliament when it passed the law to ensure it did not regard naturism as an offence.
Landlord Les Adams was handed an official notice advising him on the law yesterday (Thursday) which said: "A person commits an offence if a) he intentionally exposes his genitals, and b) intends that someone sees them." The maximum fine for exposure in public is two years in prison.
Mr Adams said: "You've got to laugh. I said there would be a PC issue behind it. I've got no qualms about it because at the end of the day, it was a publicity stunt and all these things seem to rear their head when you're trying to do something humourous."
Mr Adams had planned the "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden" naturists' corner with strategically placed conifers to screen the area from the rest of the pub.
Hot food had been banned because of health and safety reasons and fig leaves were to be handed out for those who wished to protect their modesty.
A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "One of our licensing officers paid them a visit with some advice about protecting the public and warned them if a member of the public goes in and sees something they don't want to, they could make a complaint of indecent exposure.
We didn't ban them from doing it but if they get a complaint against them it could affect their licence."
The pub did hold a similar event for Valentine's Day last year, but only one customer showed up.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Man dies following motorway smash on Northamptonshire border
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- BREAKING NEWS: Police name man killed in crash on motorway in Northamptonshire
- Neighbours raise concern about bid to build new house three inches from their home
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- BREAKING NEWS: Fishmarket art gallery offered new home
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- New manager of Northampton’s Grosvenor Centre says ‘This is the beginning of a new era’
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Northamptonshire MP leads bid against wind farm subsidies
- Exclusive: Saints voluntarily move key Heineken Cup match to Milton Keynes
- Ashton determined to end Saints career on a high
- West Northamptonshire Development Corporation in bid to purchase site of former power station
- Lifeguard Lane not looking to save Bloy
- Duston woman makes it to Masterchef finals
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
