Residents of multi-million pound flats overlooked by Tate Modern have lost their High Court privacy battle after the judge said they had knowingly bought properties with floor-to-ceiling windows and should consider putting up net curtains.

Owners of four apartments in the Neo Bankside development took legal action in a bid to prevent hundreds of thousands of tourists from peering into their homes from the Tate’s viewing platform.

They told the court that some visitors used binoculars while others posted photographs of the flats’ interiors on social media. One resident said he counted 84 people taking pictures of him over the course of 90 minutes, while another compared the experience to living in a zoo.

But in his ruling, Mr Justice Mann said that, while there was an intrusion of privacy, there would be no claim if the flats had regular-sized windows.

“These properties are impressive, and no doubt there are great advantages to be enjoyed in such extensive glassed views, but that in effect comes at a price in terms of privacy,” he concluded.

The judge suggested that residents install net curtains or privacy film, or lower the solar blinds that are present in each flat, although he conceded that those options would “detract from their living conditions” by obscuring the view that they had paid for. Placing tall plants in front of the windows would also offer a partial solution, he added.