FEMINISTS have called for a ban on self-identifying transgender women from using a female-only pond on London’s Hampstead Heath.

Activists from Mayday 4 Women protested outside a private meeting of the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association (KLPA) as they sat to discuss the situation on Thursday, February 8.

4 Mayday 4 Women and lesbian groups handed out leaflets to members of the Kenwood Ladies' Pond Association Credit: @mayday4women/Twitter

Around 100 members of the 400-strong association held a closed meeting to discuss “perspectives on transgender swimming”.

It comes after the City of London Corporation, who are responsible for the facility, said self-identifying trans women were now welcome to use the pond and the female changing rooms.

In a statement, the Corporation said: “Over the last year all lifeguards and managers at Hampstead Heath ponds have taken transgender awareness training courses, which have been offered to, and taken by, the ponds’ swimming associations as well.

“We are working with the LGBTQ community to ensure our facilities are fit to serve the needs of everyone who enjoys them, and will continue to do so in the future.”

4 The group handed out leaflets arguing that the Ladies' pond should remain a safe space for women Credit: @mayday4women/Twitter

4 The pond in question is the only all-women swimming area in Britain Credit: Rex Features

The pond in question is the only all-women swimming area in Britain and counts actress Helena Bonham Carter, comedian Rhona Cameron and author Esther Freud among its regular users.

According to the Guardian, activists from the radical feminist group Mayday 4 Women protested outside the meeting, urging members to lobby to “keep the Hampstead Heath ladies’ pond a sanctuary for women”.

4 Self-identifying trans women are now welcome to use the pond and the female changing rooms Credit: @mayday4women/Twitter

Armed with flyers and placards, the group added: “Males already have access to two ponds: the men’s pond and the mixed pond. Why should they have access to three ponds when they already have access to two?”

The group also urged members attending the closed meeting to “represent the voices of women to have a space where women can feel safe, bring their daughter and not worry about a man who says he’s a woman being allowed through the gates.”

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In a statement to the Guardian, the KLPA said it was committed “to helping to create at the Ladies’ Pond an inclusive environment for all women, including transgender women, which is free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation”.

Video of mixed pond area for swimmers in Hampstead Heath, London

The Association added: “Although it is tempting to assume someone’s gender simply by their appearance, it’s important to try to avoid doing so and to be aware of the needs of genuinely transgender women.

“The diverse community of women and girls – including transgender women – at the Ladies’ Pond contribute to its unique and very precious quality.

“We believe that with a continued commitment from all swimmers to respect the rights to privacy and dignity of others, we can continue to protect and enjoy it.”

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