A bit off and on

Italy's art galleries, magazines and television are full of it - but not the beaches. Seeking to end this anomaly, politicians aim to allow people to strip off at the seaside.

So far, the High Court has ruled that women can go topless at the beach. The next step will be a bill to allow full nudity, perhaps retsricted to selected beaches.

In the summer about 80,000 Italian naturists flee to more liberal European neighbours.