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The owner of Waterworld - which is to hold a nude family swim session this weekend - says criticism of the event is 'scaremongering'.

In a letter published in The Sentinel today (April 11) Mo Chaudry says the popular Stroke-on-Trent tourist attraction has been 'unjustly accused of encouraging paedophiles'.

British Naturism has hired Waterworld at Festival Park for an evening to allow members to ride the water slides and wave machines in nothing but their birthday suits.

But the event has sparked outrage with an online campaign being launched to stop the event and a petition signed by hundreds of people.

The petition reads: "I truly believe this is a massive safeguarding issue, children being naked around adults neither their parents or themselves know!

"They are at risk of being subject to abuse by sex offenders who may slip in the organisation unnoticed.

"It may be a private event but children should be protected no matter what and should not be allowed at such events. The solution to this would be either to make it an 18s and over-only event or to not allow the event to happen full stop.

"I have absolutely nothing against naturists and their lifestyle choice except when it comes to the safety of children."

However, Mr Chaudry says British Naturism is a 'perfectly law-abiding organisation which has been hiring the venue – and many similar sites across the UK – for private swimming events for more than 20 years.'

In his letter to The Sentinel he wrote: "Having arrived in the UK from Pakistan as a young boy, unable to speak a single word of English, I know precisely what it feels like to be discriminated against.

"And that is why, throughout all my subsequent years in business, I have been determined to treat everyone equally and fairly.

"Much has been written over the past few weeks about British Naturism’s decision to hire Waterworld for a private evening swimming session.

"We have been unjustly accused of encouraging paedophiles. Far Right protest group Britain First has been trying to whip up a frenzy by handing out inflammatory flyers.

"Some of our staff have even been subjected to unacceptable and unwarranted personal abuse.

"So it’s time to set the record straight and get this situation into perspective.

"British Naturism is a perfectly law-abiding organisation which has been hiring our venue – and many similar sites across the UK – for private swimming events for more than 20 years.

"In all that time, the Waterworld sessions have passed off happily and peacefully, and we have never had any reasons for concern.

"It’s important to point out that these events are completely private.

"They are not open to anyone to simply walk in off the street.

"They are restricted to the organisation’s members and pre-registered guests, and no children attend without parents or guardians.

"I am not a naturist, but I fiercely defend the rights of those who choose to be.

"It is not Waterworld’s role to be judge and jury on a matter where no laws of the land are being broken.

"We hire out our venue to a wide range of different groups for their private functions.

"All of these customers must provide proof of robust safeguarding policies, particularly around children and vulnerable adults, before a booking is accepted.

"Why should I bow to pressure to stop a particular group of people from hiring our facilities, simply because they choose to pursue a different sort of lifestyle to my own?

"I can assure everyone that we take our safeguarding and health and safety responsibilities very seriously at Waterworld, and pride ourselves on offering a safe environment for all users.

"So we will not give way to this minority of scaremongering extremists who are seeking to sensationalise the British Naturism issue, by manufacturing a scandal which simply does not exist.

"The morally right thing to do is for us to continue giving our full support to British Naturism, which has exactly the same rights to hire our facility as any other law-abiding organisation.

"And that is precisely what we will do. British Naturism is welcome to continue hiring Waterworld outside public opening hours for its private events, for as long as it wishes to do so."

The event is due to take place on Saturday, April 13.

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