‘It ruined my night’: photographers accused of targeting women at St Andrews May Dip
Students at St Andrews University have expressed distress after photos of them in swimwear during the annual May Dip were published without consent by national media outlets. The event, traditionally a student ritual involving a dawn swim for good exam luck, has drawn photographers who focus predominantly on female participants, raising concerns about privacy and objectification. University officials condemned the media's actions as exploitative but acknowledged limited power to restrict photography on the public beach.
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Plunging into the freezing North Sea at dawn on 1 May is said to bring good luck in exams. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PAView image in fullscreenPlunging into the freezing North Sea at dawn on 1 May is said to bring good luck in exams. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PAPress intrusion‘It ruined my night’: photographers accused of targeting women at St Andrews May DipStudents taking part in university’s annual ritual say images of them in swimwear are being published without consent in national newspapersZainab HajiFri 1 May 2026 00.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleWhen the sun rises at dawn on Friday, hundreds of St Andrews University students will brave the chilly North Sea for the annual May Dip, an undergraduate ritual said to bring good luck in exams.
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