France’s highest administrative court has suspended a ban on the full-body swimsuits, saying it “seriously and clearly illegally breached fundamental freedoms”.

The ruling on the ban in Villeneuve-Loubet, a Mediterranean seaside resort, could set a precedent for up to 30 other towns that imposed bans on their beaches, chiefly on the Riviera. The court will make a final decision on the legality of the bans later.

“The burkini was designed for freedom, flexibility and confidence. It was designed to integrate into society,” its creator, Aheda Zanetti, an Australian designer told our correspondent Lin Taylor earlier this week.

She said the…