The Austrian town of Hainfeld has put a stop to the total-body swimsuit – complete with head covering – triggered by the country’s far-right Freedom Party.
Peter Terzer, a local town councillor, said: “It can be ensured, that no person wearing a burkini can enter the pool.
“In respect to the bathing rules, we are completely pleased with the adopted variant. Nothing in particular has prompted the ban, however, the bathing rules have been in place for decades already.”
He said the ban was based on sanitation grounds, so the pool water could meet strict hygiene regulations.
It comes after a public swimming pool in Neutraubling near Regensburg, Germany banned Muslim women from wearing the full body swimsuit after complaints from non-Islamic bathers.