Nudists have been forced to compete with livestock for beach space and claim their presence is “unhygienic and could pose a health risk”.

But officials in Småland, Sweden, have allowed farmers to bring their cows to beaches to let them cool down as many have had to slaughter their animals early because of problems caused by drought, SVT reports.

“When it’s this dry, you don’t want cows to be brought to slaughter out of necessity. They need to be able to bathe, eat and drink,” Peter Bengtsson, a local official, said.

Complaints led to a vote by municipal Vaxjo’s Culture and Leisure Department which ruled that the cows “have just as much right to be there as the human visitors”.