Customers surprised to see naturists dining in Somerset pub

Neil Cox and Danielle Quiggan were also spotted sitting at Bristol's Harbourside

Customers at a family pub were surprised to see a pair of naturists dining in the nude.

Neil Cox, 34 from Cheshire and Danielle Quiggan, 35, from London visited The Railway in Burnham on Sea on 2 June.

The pair were also spotted walking around Clifton Downs and the Harbourside in Bristol.

It is not an offence to be naked in public in the United Kingdom, unless the intention was to upset and shock.

The pair had called the pub ahead of time to notify them of their visit, and the owners were happy for them to have a meal in their pub.

Since their visit, the The Railway Inn has received a mixture of negative and positive reviews on their TripAdviser profile.

A spokesperson from The Railway Inn said: "There have been more positive reviews than negative reviews, praising the welcoming nature, staff and our approach to inclusivity.''

Listen: Would you ever go nude in public? People share their responses with BBC Radio Bristol's James Hanson.

Naomi Alcender, a solicitor at Vienna Kang Advocates, said if someone is not intending to cause alarm whilst being nude, it is not a criminal offence.

"It all depends on each case, you have to look at what someone is doing," she said, adding that it is quite rare for naturists to be prosecuted.

Happier naked

Mr Cox has been a naturist for several years and says he is much happier naked.

"For a lot of people, being naked is this terrifying ordeal," he said.

"I live naked most of my life in Cheshire and people around my town have got used to me, so there's post offices, groceries and pubs that I can go to."

He spends about 9 months out of the year naked and says it has made a difference to his wellbeing.

"People talk about nudity being liberating - I feel a sense of relief and de-stressing when I've taken my clothes off," he added.

Mr Cox said that his friend Danielle Quiggan, feels less self conscious when she is naked.

"Ironically, when she's wearing clothes she's always wondering if her belly looks good in that top or if her skirt is too short," he said.

"So when she takes it off she doesn't have to worry about all those things."