Drunken skinny-dippers end up in court

11:36am Tuesday 9th October 2007

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Two half-naked university students took a drunken dip in the Thames before baring all to a group of passersby, Kingston Magistrates' heard.

Police were called to Kingston Bridge at 1.30am on Wednesday, September 26, to find Joe Burford, 20, and Christopher Jones, 19, both of South Street, Isleworth, in the river in their underwear. Both are students at St Mary's University in Twickenham.

The court heard how on seeing the police they tried to run from the scene, but not before pulling down their underwear and exposing themselves to a group of people who had stopped to watch.

Sally Anne Russell, prosecuting, said: "When police asked them why they did it, they replied because it's freshers' week'."

Jones, who studies management and law, and Burford, who studies sports science, said they had drunk too much and were very embarrassed by what they had done.

Magistrate Judith Jewell said: "There's a lot of drunken and disorderly behaviour in Kingston and this court takes it very seriously.

"What you did was dangerous and people could have put themselves in danger trying to save you."

The two men were let off with a caution because it was their first offence.