COPS’ NUDE AWAKENING

POLICE CRACKDOWN ON NAKED BEACH

POLICE are targeting nudists on a “clothes-optional” strip of beach at Byron Bay after a spate of lurid sexual behaviour.

But the local council and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are passing the buck over who should take responsibility for alerting the public about the nude beach at Tyagarah. Police say the Tyagarah Lakes and beach area is a well-known meeting place for hanky-panky.

This year, they launched a crackdown on offenders after reports of nefarious behaviour in the paradise-like locale.

Byron Shire Council also confirmed they had received complaints from residents about sleazy goings on.

“Members of the public have made complaints, particularly about the Gray’s Lane area,” Tweed Byron Local Area Command Detective Superintendent Wayne Starling said.

“It’s well known to us as a haunt for particular members of the community,” he said.

In past month alone several people have been sexually propositioned in the middle of the day, including a 28-yearold tourist who had to run for help after being indecently assaulted by a partially clothed man in his 50s.

The man was later charged with several offences, including detaining a person with the intent to commit a serious offence, an act of indecency and indecent assault.

A woman in her 20s was walking through a bush track near Tyagarah Beach about 1.30pm two weeks ago when a 54-year-old naked man with an erection came up behind her. He is accused of aggressively sexually propositioning her before grabbing her breasts. The man was charged and will appear in Byron Bay Local Court this week.

On other occasions men have been seen masturbating naked on the beach in the middle of the day and police have arrested nude beachgoers for possessing drugs.

Det Supt Starling said police had previously given people move-on directions if caught acting inappropriately, but were now ramping up their approach.

“People need to know if they are committing offences in that area they will be charged, brought before the courts and prosecuted,” he said. “We have extra patrols in the area ... because when members of the public are at risk we take it very, very seriously.”

A NPWS spokeswoman said while the Tyagarah Nature Reserve was managed by the agency, the clothes-optional strip of coastline was the council’s domain.

“NPWS has approved Byron Shire Council to place signs on the nature reserve approach to the council-managed beach advising that clothing is optional.”

The council said the beach was part of the Tyagarah Nature Reserve and had asked the NPWS to erect signage.