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World Naked Bike Ride proves to be all a bit too much for Clacton on Sea

Bare bums not the image councillors want to promote at family seaside holiday town

Clacton on Sea is to ban nudist events - after World Naked Bike Ride was a step too far for the delicate sensibilities of the seaside town.

Peter Halliday, Leader of Tendring District Council, reckons enough is enough after two months that saw residents strip off for both the protest ride as well as a skinny dip on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care. 

Last weekend, around 35 naked cyclists participated in a 17-kilometre protest ride around the town.

Mr Halliday said he was appealing to the police to put a stop to it all.

He told the East Anglian Daily Telegraph: “Clacton is a traditional family seaside resort and in my opinion people riding around on bikes with no clothes on does nothing to enhance our image – in fact it harms it,” he said.

“They did not apply to use land under our responsibility so there was little we could do other than work with other agencies on a bit of a damage limitation exercise

“However, I now want to get together with the Police and others round the table and come up with a plan to put a halt to naked events in our area before it all goes too far.”

Essex Police however said: “There has been precedent from similar events held in Brighton and London in the past and it was deemed that there were no legal grounds to prevent it going ahead.”

Robert Brown, who organised the Clacton event in a series of World Naked Bike Rides, said that the councillors were missing the point of the rides.

He said: “The event was to protest against car culture and the idea of riding naked is to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists. Being naked in public isn’t an offence in itself.

“Similar events are held in towns and cities around the world and across the UK in places like Brighton, Portsmouth and London. The London event attracts thousands of people and benefits shops and traders in the area.

“There were more people in favour of our event than against it. On Saturday we were given a huge cheer as we rode down the High Street.”

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9 comments

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BritishNaturism | 10 years ago
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Reading this article because of the present attempts by the council to stamp on people's right to freedom of expression regarding this year's protest ride, I am struck by how it seems to be down to the prejudice of just one councillor. The police do not seem to have an issue with it, which is quite right as there is nothing illegal being proposed.

Even the few comments made here do not support the councillors objections, quite the opposite. Shouldn't we therefore fight the council's attempts to stamp on our rights?

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arowland | 11 years ago
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I don't understand this 'family' business. Most families with young children regularly see each other naked. It is usually code for 'children' -- who are usually the people least likely to be offended by something they take for granted. After all, this is not sexual nudity. Why don't they get honest and say 'aging spinsters' instead of trying to drag children into it?

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veseunr | 11 years ago
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******"Crude joke about skid-marks removed to save all our British sensibilities"*****

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jollygoodvelo | 11 years ago
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Ridiculous. No naughty bits please, we're British... but less than five miles away there's a well known (though not 'official') nude beach.

And as for having white saddles... think you need to discover Andrex.

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Nick T | 11 years ago
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Ugh, hope none of them have a white saddle.

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Metjas | 11 years ago
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not sure I can make my mind up about this - some more pics may help  1

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Karbon Kev | 11 years ago
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very funny, knowing Clacton as I do lol

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seven | 11 years ago
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Sounds like this Halliday chap wants it "put a stop to" regardless of what his constituents think.

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TeamCC | 11 years ago
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The nudity is so regulated and infrequent that it triggers this big "oh my gosh, nude person!" reaction. Having spent the summer in Germany, nudity is quite common and you aren't a freak to be stared at if you are naked on the beach. Grow up with it and the naked body is less of a sexual object to be worried over. Yes, it is a family beach too, and families are there nude and the beaches are packed with people.

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