Police speak to man after indecent act at Ocean Beach

A police vehicle on patrol at Ocean Beach over the weekend. Photo / NZME

Police officers have spoken to a man in relation to an indecent incident at a Hawke’s Bay beach.

A police spokesperson said the public could also expect to see more officers on the beach this summer.

Police were called to an incident at Ocean Beach on Wednesday November 5 after a naked man was seen performing an indecent act on himself on the beach.

A police spokesperson said officers had spoken to a man in relation to the incident and officers continue to carry out patrols in the area.

The spokesperson said, at the time of the incident, members of the public could be charged if their actions were deemed indecent or offensive in a public place like a beach.

A spokesperson for the Hastings District Council said there were no nudist beaches in the district, including Ocean Beach.

Council bylaws specify that a person must not appear nude or insufficiently dressed on a beach, except for a beach the council has designated as a “clothing optional” by publicly notified resolution.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.