Stuart Gilmour on his bicycle (Image: Stuart Gilmour)

       A naked cyclist has said he can’t believe people are upset by his nudity and has criticised negativity against naturists.

       Stuart Gilmour, 44, from Manchester, is a naturist aside from his day job as a lorry driver.

       Mr Gilmour told NorthWalesLive he believes that naturism is misunderstood and the reasons why people do it are completely different to what people think.

       Mr Gilmour is currently raising money for charity during his naked bike rides around the UK.

       So far on his journey he has received a mixed reception from the public who have sometimes greeted him warmly and occasionally with open hostility.

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       Stuart says naturism is about body positivity (Image: Stuart Gilmour)

       Whilst cycling from Prestatyn to Colwyn Bay earlier this year, Mr Gilmour was arrested by police after a member of the public reported him to officers.

       Although Mr Gilmour spent a few hours in a cell, he was later released after CCTV footage from the promenade showed he had not been exposing himself in an indecent way.

       The Crown Prosecution Service’s guidelines on naturists is they shouldn’t be prosecuted unless they are involved in an offence other than public nudity.

       Prosecutors add that a balance should be struck between their right to freedom of expression and the right of the public to be protected.

       Stuart promotes his naturism through social media (Image: Stuart Gilmour)

       Mr Gilmour agrees with the CPS and says he does not flagrantly practice his naturism without taking precautions.

       When it comes to pubs and shops he said: “The way I do it is that I'll go in clothed, have a chat with them, and from then on I'll just turn up.

       “With pubs, for example, I'll cycle to the door with my shorts on and pop my head in to ask beforehand.

       "It's their business at the end of the day and they might have kids around. There are times I'll have a pint outside without any clothes on and times I'll be inside and fully-dressed.”

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       Stuart has had interactions with the police because of his naturism (Image: Getty)

       Mr Gilmour added that there were several misconceptions about naturism which affected how people saw it.

       He said: "I think the problem is that people associate nudity with sexuality. Naturism has nothing to do with sexuality.

       “A lot of it is about body positivity, which is a big thing for me. We're told we've got to be on this diet or the other - if you look at men's magazines, for example, you've got guys who are ripped with huge muscles.

       “I'm just trying to promote being happy with who you are because we are only here for a short amount of time, so just accept the person you are and enjoy life.”

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       Mr Gilmour said he finds the negativity, both in public and online, upsetting at times because the public jump to conclusions before they’ve even had a chance to talk to him.

       He explained: “It's just people attacking me before they know me and jumping to conclusions.

       “The vast majority of people I encounter react positively, and I try to engage with people who aren't onboard and talk to them about naturism and why I'm so keen to promote it.”

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