Officials to crack down on nude sunbathers

San Diego -- Police in southern California say they will buckle down on nude sunbathers on a popular clothing-optional beach at summer's end because of visitor complaints.

San Onofre State Beach authorities said people who go nude on the beach after Labor Day will be ticketed for refusing to put clothes on, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

"Times have changed. The population growth within a two-hour drive of San Onofre has grown tremendously through the years. It can no long be considered a remote beach," said Rich Haydon, acting superintendent of the California Parks and Recreation Department's Orange Coast District.

Officials said visitor complaints and worries about potential workplace harassment lawsuits are part of the reason for the crackdown.

Many naturists say the new rule is unnecessary and they plan to protest it.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.