In 2018, the College of Policing published guidance on the handling of reports of public nudity to assist police officers and call handlers in taking actions that were consistent with Crown Prosecution Service guidelines and the law, so that those participating in lawful nudity did not suffer negative effects if there were reports. British Naturism, alongside other Naturists, were instrumental in formulating that guidance and it remains arguably the most crucial achievement of British Naturism in the past decade. While many of us prefer to enjoy Naturism at private clubs or designated events, the protection of Naturist rights for EVERYBODY remains core objective of British Naturism.
The eagle-eyed may have noticed that in 2024 a revised version has been published, so it is worth looking at what has changed. In short, nothing. The College of Policing have made a couple of minor adjustments to the wording to clarify terminology, but those are minor and the meanings and guidance remain the same as they ever were.
So why are we reporting this lack of change? Crucially, re-publication of the guidance re-affirms the commitment of Police Forces to the guidance formulated in 2018. It hasn’t been forgotten in the intervening years and re-publishing makes it clear that there is no intention to move away from those principles. The frequent discussions between British Naturism and different Forces, challenging actions when there are errors and assisting Officers making good decisions, keeps the topic on the Police agenda and means that Naturists can be confident going about their daily lives.
The link to the College of Policing guidance has been updated on our policing page, which also contains links to similar guidance for the Home Nations and can be found here.