Visitors to a nudist beach in Zeeland have been warned they risk on-the-spot fines if they succumb to the temptation to have sex in the sands.

The local council in Veere says it will take a harder line against couples who ignore the ban in the Oranjezon dunes in response to complaints from locals.

Eight signs have been placed around the beach, which has a reputation as a hook-up spot, showing two conjoined pairs of feet with a line crossed through them. The council says couples who transgress will receive an immediate fine rather than a warning.

Mayor Frederiek Schouwenaar said the council received between 25 and 30 complaints a year from local residents about sexual activity at the beach.

“Naked recreation is allowed there and people are certainly allowed to be in love, but I have a problem when it becomes a meeting place for sex,” she said. “That leads to undesirable situations that I think are unsafe.”

But local businesses said they were surprised by the move and denied the problem had got worse in recent years.

They fear that the publicity could have adverse consequences if people from further afield are made aware of the beach’s status as a location for casual sex.

Marco Wiechert, owner of the Aloha Beach cafe, told Omroep Zeeland: “It hasn’t been as quiet here in 14 years. No doubt things happen sometimes, but it’s ridiculous to suggest that it’s some kind of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“I have the feeling that these complaints come from one party, the [orthodox Protestant] SGP.”