News BL's video: Rules of sunbathing naked in your garden - what law says you can and can t do - News BL

The sun's out - but does this mean we can get anything else out? With temperatures soaring, the more carefree of you may be tempted to indulge in some naked sunbathing your garden. After all, tan lines are a pain and you're simply enjoying the glorious weather within the privacy of your own property. Interestingly, while it may seem safe to shed the layers in your own garden, you do run the risk of getting into a lot of trouble. The good news is it's NOT against the law to be naked in public. But, it can become an offence if being naked causes distress or alarm to others. The Crown Prosecution Service says: “In the case of naturism a balance needs to be struck between the naturist's right to freedom of expression and the right of the wider public to be protected from harassment, alarm and distress.” The advice from the police is to let your neighbours know if you plan to sunbathe topless in your back garden to avoid any awkward situations. Surrey Police shared a post about the issue after a row between neighbours in Reigate. The post read: “If you want to wander around your garden naked and you are overlooked by neighbours then you have to be careful - an Englishman's home is not quite his castle and your garden is not exempt from the law. “In an ideal world, your relationship with your neighbours would be such that they would not object to you gardening in the buff and they would never dream of calling the police. “In the real world, however, you would be well advised to take some simple precautions,” it added. The police suggested sunbathing in one part of the garden that's screened from view. "You will have to decide whether your desire to be naked in your garden is more important to you than being on friendly terms with those around you," it said. "No-one has the right to spy on you and if you find that your neighbour is leaning out of an upstairs window or standing on the top of a step ladder in order to see you then he or she may well be committing an offence." The Met Office has said the UK heatwave will continue through to the weekend. It's up to you, but it may be best to play it safe if your garden is overlooked by other properties and you're unsure of where your neighbours stand on nudity.