Campaigners held up a mock barrier with the words ‘no men beyond this point’ in protest at transgender women being allowed at Hampstead Heath women’s pond.

About 15 women from feminist group Holding The Line held up yellow tape as part of a demonstration outside the Kenwood Ladies Pond on Sunday (July 29).

Trans women have been allowed to swim at the pond since 2010 and in 2019 The City of London Corporation, which owns Hampstead Heath, adopted a policy giving access to people who identify as women.

Organisers Angela Wild and Michelle Liverbird, who came from Wales, appealed to activists around the UK to come and "reclaim the space as women-only". 

Ms Wild said: "We do not accept that men can be women even when they have a gender reassignment certificate."

Angela said many women were not aware the pond was “not actually a women-only space” and claimed a large majority did not agree with this, including many passers-by.

In March, around three quarters of Kenwood Ladies Pond Association (KLPA) members voted against an attempt to replace ‘women’ with the phrase ‘biological female’ in its constitution, effectively excluding trans women from the ladies’ pond.

Venice Allan, who was banned from the KLPA after the March meeting was abandonded when she stood on a chair and shouted at members, did not attend the protest but said she supported it.

Women from feminist group Holding The Line hold banner outside Kenwood Ladies Pond saying 'No Men Beyond This Point'Holding The Line put up banners outside Kenwood Ladies Pond saying 'Women-Only' and 'No Men Beyond This Point' (Image: HTL)

She said: "I think it's great that women from all over the world are using the pond. It's so frustrating because there are three pools on the Heath. How does it benefit women to have trans women there? There's a mixed pond.

"This pond is just for us."

A spokesperson for the KLPA said: "As regular swimmers at the Ladies’ Pond know, it has always been and remains a women-only space. It is not open to men and there is no need to ‘reclaim’ it.

A member of the group Holding The Line outside Kenwood Ladies Pond during a protest on July 28A Holding The Line member outside Kenwood Ladies Pond during a protest on Sunday, July 28 (Image: HTL)

"We understand that the demonstrators hold gender-critical views and are opposed to the City of London’s policy of permitting transgender women to swim at the Ladies’ Pond, which accords with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.”

A spokesperson for CoLC said: “We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.

“Our gender identity policy ensures that in line with legislation, our services do not discriminate."