STREAKS & PUBLICITY (South Wales Echo, 29 June 2000)

Report by Greg Lewis. South Wales Echo.
Content (C) South Wales Echo. Reproduced by kind permission.

CPS Turns The Other Cheek ...

Super Streaker Mark Roberts who stripped in front of 72,000 spectators at the Rugby World Cup final in Cardiff has got away with his bare-faced cheek.

Charges against Mark, 35, who has made an exhibition of himself more than 150 times have been dropped over last November’s naked run.

The Liverpudlian streaked halfway across the Millennium Stadium pitch – with ‘100 per cent British Beef’ written on his back – before being rugby tackled by a steward.

“It was just before the kick-off for the second half and I didn’t have a seat at the front,” said Mark, who is unemployed. “But I’m a professional and I knew I could get through.

“I carried three hot coffees down the steps and indicated that I couldn’t get to my ticket in my back pocket. I was let through”.

“Once down the front I put the coffees down, stripped off and legged it onto the pitch. I wanted to grab the ball and score a try but I was taken out by a security guard”.

Mark’s nude appearances started in 1992 at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and have included cheeky cameos at Crufts, the Grand National and a recent live edition of the Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned TV show.

He also strode naked across the floating weather map on This Morning with Richard and Judy five years ago.

He was charged with indecent exposure and causing harassment and distress after the streak during the Australia and France match.

He has now been told the proceedings under the Public Disorder Act, which were due to be heard this month at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, have been discontinued.

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided it is “not in the public interest” to pursue the charges.

Millennium Stadium manager Bob Evans said: “We obviously go along with whatever the CPS decides but streaking is not something we encourage. It can delay, interrupt or even affect a game. As I remember, this man didn’t get very far anyway”.

Mark said: “I do it because I like to make people laugh. When you streak in front of 50,000-odd people you get an absolutely fantastic response from them. You get a buzz and they have some fun. The first couple of times it was embarrassing. Now it’s just like getting in the bath”.