Former Royal Marine, Gough decided to become an activist in July of 2003. Naked, he spanned the length of Great Britain, from Land’s End to John o’Groats, which he reached the following January. Wearing only socks and shoes, a hat, and a rucksack, he endured near-freezing temperatures, at least 14 arrests, and two jail terms.

After the trip, he put his clothes back on and even modeled for Marc Jacobs and Versace. He explains that he does not dislike clothing, only authorities telling us we have to wear it. He continued his campaign, and completed the same 874 miles with then-girlfriend Melanie Roberts in February of 2006.

During his trials, Gough was charged with contempt-of-court for representing himself naked. He claimed that dressing himself for court would admit his guilt. Traveling that May to appeal four contempt-of-court findings, he stripped aboard a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he has had most his legal troubles. Roberts left him immediately afterward, and the incident on the flight landed him in jail for four months.

Since then, Gough has been in and out of jail even more frequently. He has now served two different 12-month sentences and has been arrested moments after his last few releases, as he does not wear clothing to walk out of the prison.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis has warned Gough he may receive more than 18 months next time, and remaining clothes-less could put him back and forth for the rest of his life. He also ordered a psychological report.

Gough understood, and turned down an offer to go home if clothed. “Essentially this is about individual freedom and people's tolerance to other people being different. I understand a lot of people will disagree and have strong feelings about it.

“Walking the amount of miles I have, through towns and cities, it is on the whole a very small moral minority who act in an irrational way. I believe I am behaving in a reasonable way.”

The country has spent an estimated £200,000, or $323,000, prosecuting Gough.

http://nakedwalk.org/

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6542329.stm



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