Two men have been seen walking completely naked near Highworth – sparking a debate over the legality and morality of public nudity.
The incident reportedly occurred around 3pm on Sunday (3 August), when the pair were spotted walking hand in hand along the edge of a field near the road into Hannington village.
On social media, a local resident wrote: ‘This is not acceptable behaviour in public places. We have young children riding ponies around these fields, lots of families with young children walking the footpaths through the farm.
‘If you insist on walking through our fields, please do it with clothes on!’
The naked men have divided public opinion, with some calling it inappropriate and alarming, while others defended the act as lawful and relatively harmless.
One person said: ‘I understand that people find this concerning because they don’t want their kids to see naked people, but at the same time it is just body parts that everyone has.
‘It’s not like they’re being inappropriate with said body parts. I think yes it’s annoying, but not the end of the world – if I saw this with the kids I’d be [shocked] but then we’d laugh about it at the end of the day.’
Another added: ‘Maybe these males were expressing their lawful right to be naked in nature. Good on them.’
But others disagreed. One woman commented: ‘This really isn’t funny. I would be petrified if I was walking alone and came across these idiots.
‘NOT ILLEGAL. It’s not moral either. What about parents out with young children? Can’t understand why people aren’t concerned.’
The news comes just weeks after a man was spotted walking a dog naked in Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, south-east of Salisbury – sparking a police investigation.
Under UK law, public nudity is not inherently illegal. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), simple nudity without intent to cause alarm or distress is not a criminal offence.
Indecent exposure, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, requires that a person intentionally expose their genitals with the intent to cause alarm or distress.
Similarly, under the Public Order Act 1986, prosecution can only occur if the nudity is accompanied by threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
In rare and more severe cases, the common-law offence of outraging public decency may apply, but this is typically reserved for extreme circumstances.
The CPS guidance advises that ordinary naturism is lawful and that police and prosecutors must assess whether actual alarm or distress was caused before considering action.
