Brighton is first major UK resort to have a nudist beach - On this day in history

On this day in history, 1979: Brighton agrees to become the first major resort in the country to have a nudist beach.

Local councillor, landlady and grandmother Eileen Jakes had campaigned for a section of the seafront to be set aside for nude bathers, arguing that it would increase tourism. The Tory-led council was split by the decision, but it was agreed to set aside a 200-yard stretch as an experiment for a year.

At the time, the BBC reported Brighton’s deputy Mayor Alfred Feld as saying: ‘It is a bold move, but we feel we are just moving with the times.’

Cliff Bathing Beach opened on 1 April 1980 and, despite efforts to have it shut down in the 1980s, today it is still one of the best-known naturist beaches in the country.

The move followed a national campaign by the Central Council for British Naturism to encourage local seaside councils to allocate nudists sections of beaches.

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