Naked rambler was in the buff in town (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Naked rambler was in the buff in town
8:00am Sunday 3rd March 2013 in Andover
Naked rambler was in the buff in town
THE Hampshire man known as The Naked Rambler has been charged with being naked in public in Andover.
Stephen Gough was due to appear in the dock at Basingstoke magistrates’ court this week after being charged with the offence on February 11.
But he arrived naked at court on Tuesday and was promptly charged with a second public order offence and was arrested.
The 53-year-old former Royal Marine has been in and out of prison almost continuously since 2006 after walking the length of Great Britain in the buff.
On Tuesday morning his hearing was conducted in the police cells in Basingstoke because district judge Philip Gillibrand would not allow Mr Gough to appear in the court room naked.
Judge Gillibrand told the court afterwards: “I expect every defendant who comes into court to be clothed in some form. My view is that we are all in it together and I won’t make exception for anyone, not even Mr Gough.”
Mr Gough, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, was released on bail to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on May 10 – and he then began the long journey back to his home town of Eastleigh, where he is from.
He said people in Basingstoke had shaken his hand when they saw him or had taken photographs.
Explaining why he refuses to wear clothes he said: “It’s to raise awareness about the huge contradiction that the human body is not indecent, shameful or offensive.
“If that’s the case, why am I getting arrested all the time? If all I’m doing is walking and being what I am, how can that harm anyone or offend a reasonable person?”
He admitted that he does tire of trying to make the point, but added: “It’s important for us all that contradictions are made apparent.”
With temperatures outside at around four degrees on Tuesday, Mr Gough admitted: “I’m freezing,” adding: “I keep warm by walking fast.”
British Naturism says...
12:51am Tue 5 Mar 13
The worrying part about all this is what he has exposed: Just how close we are to being a police state. There are no laws that make public nudity an offence unless complicated by other circumstances such as it being used to deliberately alarm or distress an individual (e.g. the classic flasher), or some kind of lewd behaviour is involved. Steve Gough engages in neither of these kinds of activity, he simply want to be free to be a natural human being.
So what he has revealed is that we live in a country where the police think they can make up laws to suit their own prejudices. That is a police state.
Even to Naturists he is an extremist and that could be why he does not describe himself as a Naturist. But we find ourselves concerned by what he has proved about a police force who are supposed to serve the public with the permission of the public. Are we going to stand by and give the police permission to rule by their own prejudice? What will be their next restriction on our freedoms?