BOLTON South East MP Yasmin Qureshi described the ban on burkinis on French beaches as “bizarre”, saying it was an attack on women’s rights and not to prevent public disorder.

Ms Qureshi appeared of Radio 5 Live to discuss the issue of the swim suit which covers the whole body, just hours before the France’s highest administrative court suspended a ban on the burkini in a test case brought by human rights groups.

Mr Qureshi said she was pleased that the French human rights group were challenging the controversial ban.

She described the actions of police officers forcing a woman to remove her clothing in a “democratic, humanitarian” country as “deplorable”.

She said: “For law enforcement officers going round making people take clothes off, it’s just deplorable.

“This is pure and simple racism colonialism.

“There are many woman who wear burkinis for different reasons, to protect themselves from the sun or wearing for religious and modesty reasons.

“But to suggest that it is going to cause public disorder or offence, it just belies belief.

“People should stop interfering in women’s dress. People should be allowed to wear what they want to.”