Naturists have leapt to the defence of a nude swimming session for adults and children after concerned parents raised fears that paedophiles might attend.

The event, held at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent, encourages visitors to step out of their costumes and go swimming naked for two hours on April 13.

But after seeing adverts for the session, parents said the event should be adult only because 'paedophiles will surely just show up', Metro.co.uk reported.

British Naturism has leapt to the defence of a nude swimming swimming session for adults and children at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent (pictured) after concerned parents raised fears that paedophiles might attend

The event encourages visitors to step out of their costumes and go swimming naked for two hours on April 13, but a petition signed by 4,000 people has raised the prospect that paedophiles may attend

More than 4,000 people have now signed a petition calling for children's involvement to be stopped.

One person commenting said: ‘This is vile having NAKED children around NAKED adults is not ok, simple as that.’

Another said: ‘This NEEDS to stop its disgusting, children need protecting. I don't even get why anyone would even think of creating such an event it's perverting.'

One person commenting on the Change.org petition said: ‘This NEEDS to stop its disgusting, children need protecting. I don't even get why anyone would even think of creating such an event it's perverting'

Another said: ‘This is vile having NAKED children around NAKED adults is not ok, simple as that.’

Another, Naomi B, said that, having spent years 'protecting children from monsters', children shouldn't be put 'legally' in front of them through the event

Katrina Hilden said that it was not fair on children 'to see random strangers

‘Good grief. Under fives go free. Horrendous. I’m genuinely shocked. This needs to be stopped,’ a third person said.

Emma Hadaway, the creator of the petition, wrote that she is not against naturists but thinks that nude events are a 'massive safeguarding issue'.

Yet British Naturism, which exists to 'unite and support naturists,' said that nude family swimming has been 'in existence for decades' and that the petition was targeting the 'wrong group'.

A spokesman told Metro.co.uk that naturist events 'do not necessarily lead to any greater risks' and denied any link between paedophiles and naturism.

He added that while children are 'always at risk', naturists are 'more vigilant' because of the dangers.

‘They are never unaccompanied and are always supervised by parents or guardians. It is just like any other event except the dress code is different,' he said.

Mr Welch encouraged others to try naturism, saying that being nude is 'our natural state' and that children can see what 'real bodies are like' at the upcoming sessions.