Some may think Norton is a quiet, conservative community, but an alternative way of life has attracted a number of followers...to naturism.

Every other Sunday, for about 15 years, up to 50 people have stripped off and dived into Ryedale Pool, without the constraints of trunks or a swimming costume.

But it doesn't end there. Ryedale naturists take part in just about every activity you can do with your clothes on, such as trips to the beach and hikes across the North York Moors, and those taking part are "just ordinary people", says organiser John Wymark-Hoar.

"It really is not that unusual," says the Malton-based naturist.

"People join us for all sorts of reasons. Some are looking to get back to their natural state, while others have more pragmatic reasons. Personally, I fall into the latter category. It just seems logical to me that if I am going for a swim, or sitting in my garden on a nice day, I don't want to be wearing clothes."

John, 42, became a naturist about 20 years ago, firstly after visiting a sauna in York where nudity was the norm, then after a holiday in Yugoslavia, where he visited a naturist beach.

He said the first time he took off his clothes in public he felt "a little momentary anxiety", but this soon passed.

He said: "Effectively, you were the odd one out if you were not nude, so the awkwardness soon went away, and the sensation of being able to swim freely was glorious."