Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Bikinis banned in Barcelona streets

Bikinis banned in Barcelona streets

Tourists face paying fines of up to £260 if they are caught wearing a bikini in the streets of Barcelona. 

The Catalan capital has introduced regulations making it illegal to expose too much skin in public, as part of an attempt to clean up the city's image.

Under the new law, anyone caught wearing a bikini or swimming trunks in the streets of Barcelona faces fines of between €120 (£105) and €300 (£262). People caught nude will have to pay between €300 (£262) and €500 (£437).

The local police force will be allowed to give fines on the spot to those unwilling to cover up. Wearing beachwear is, however, still allowed on the beach itself, its promenade and nearby streets.
The new rules follow a campaign from local residents who disapprove of tourists baring flesh on the streets of the city.
Assumpta Escarp, a Barcelona councillor who defended the ban, told The Times: "Some people who live here are bothered by tourists who go about wearing just a bikini in the street, or men with their shirts off. We have to maintain standards."
A report suggests the city also wants to change its reputation as a hotspot for stag and hen parties. According to The Telegraph, about half a million British visitors flew to the Spanish city last year, with many taking part in stag or hen dos.
The new measure follows another recent ban on the city's streets; it is now forbidden to drink from bottles or cans on the streets of the Catalan capital.

Source: Yahoo

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