France brings in new regs to 'protect public decency'

British tourists who go topless in France this summer risk being fined as cities bring in regulations designed to protect public decency...

Perpignan, near the Spanish border in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, has become the latest city to introduce new regulations to ban bare chests.

Cavaillon, a town in Provence, brought in similar measures earlier this summer.

Those caught out by the regulations can be fined up to €38 (£31).

Such sanctions are not uncommon in seaside resorts - Cote D'Azur locations such as Cannes and St Tropez have long enforced a ban on shirtless men and women wearing bikinis, if they are walking around the town rather than lying on the beach.

But the actions of Perpignan and Cavaillon mark a shift - as inland cities also start to take a stand against semi-nudity in public.

"We're not saying there has been a general moral decline," Pierre Parrat, Perpignan's head of security told Montpellier-based newspaper Midi Libre. "But some people have complained.

Mr Parrat referred to a recent rugby match in Perpignan where English supporters were bare-chested.

"This is one of the key principles of public life, which has been a little forgotten," commented Jean-Marc Pujol, the city's mayor. "This is about education. People have the freedom to wear what they want, but respect for others is also important."

However, while the Fines - which apply to men and women - could theoretically be applied in any case of semi-nudity, in reality they will only be imposed if the offenders refuse to cover up once spoken to by police.

Perpignan's anti-toplessness law is also a temporary measure, and will only be in force between August 1st and September 30th.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk