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Nude gardener's arse hauled into court

'Distressed' neighbours protest 'indecent' horticulture

A 62-year-old Gloucestershire naturist with a penchant for pruning in the buff was cuffed for indecent exposure and now faces three charges of outraging public decency.

Donald Sprigg was hauled before Cheltenham Magistrates Court accused of causing his Cirencester neighbours 'harassment, alarm or distress', the Daily Mail reports.

The aptly named Sprigg denied the charges, while his solicitor Mohammed Iqbal insisted that the neighbours who'd protested actually lived 150 metres away and had captured the allegedly indecent horticultural action "from their balcony using a long-distance lens".

Iqbal told the court: "He was initially arrested for indecent exposure. He maintains he is a practising nudist and he does this in his own back garden. The neighbours who have complained are 150 metres away. They have taken pictures of him in his garden and they say he is acting in an indecent manner.

"He says they must have a very good lens to be able to film him at that distance. He is surprised they are able to see whether he is clothed or not from that distance away."

The barrister added: "He says that he always checks first and only goes into his garden naked when he knows his nearest neighbours are away. He says he has acted lawfully at all times and taken reasonable care to ensure no one would see him and be offended by his actions."

Sprigg was bailed to stand trial on 20 June. ®

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