THANK goodness for some common sense in the situation in France where more than 30 French towns have banned burkinis.

These garments cover the whole body except for the hands and face and are worn mostly by Muslim women. It’s come in the wake of growing terror concerns and is probably understandable given the shocking atrocities that have occurred in France.

Now, the highest French administrative court has ruled that mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis, which is not only sensible but a move to respect human rights. Many people of all faiths and beliefs were outraged by the photos of French police forcing a woman to take off some of her clothing on a beach because she transgressed the rule banning burkinis. It looked not only bullying but degrading and seems totally out of step with law and order in a civilised country. On a practical basis, forcing women to wear less clothes does little for national security under these circumstances. I can completely understand bans in places like courts of law where facial identification is vital, but why on a beach?

France became the first European county to ban wearing a burqa in public. This is the full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the ban extended to the niqab - the full-face veil with an opening for the eyes. This ban has been interpreted by some as an infringement of religious freedom; others argue that such garments promote cultural division in Western countries. Whatever individual feelings are, the situation relating to burkinis seems separate. If we start over-policing what people wear, or don’t wear, on the beach, any country, including the UK, is going to have to take other decisions about taste and modesty. Banning topless female sunbathers or nude sunbathers, for example, is one thing but deciding just how much flesh must be uncovered is quite another.

Without being too frivolous on what is an important subject, I’d like to ban thongs – especially on overweight, middle-aged men or anyone who can’t see their feet because of their stomachs. Much more importantly, however, a burkini ban or enforcing any removal of clothing other than where there is a very good reason, simply escalates extreme public views and polarises society’s divisions — and plays into the hands of extremists of all shades of opinion.