Police dunes patrol

Patrols by plain clothes officers and the force helicopter are two of the weapons being used by police after reported incidents in the dunes off Clifton Drive.

Sergeant Gary Roberts of St Annes police said the problem was being tackled in a number of ways, including preventative operations and ground patrols working with the air support unit which overflies the area to alert officers to any suspicious activity.

"We have used plain clothes patrols in the area which has resulted in the detection of offences and prosecutions."

He said the police would take "positive action" against anyone -- gay or straight -- if they were caught committing "acts of gross indecency or indecent exposure".

A St Annes father, who asked not to be named, said he decided to speak out after St Annes woman June Davies told how a man approached her and her 13-year-old daughter on the sand dunes off Clifton Drive making comments of a sexual nature.

He said: "It's a regular thing every summer and the police and the council don't seem to be bothered about it."

"I take my dog over the dunes but in the summer I just avoid the area because it's full of them," he added.

And he told of how when out walking recently he stumbled two people behaving indecently.

"Twenty yards away children were playing. What people do in their own homes I'm not bothered about but I don't think on the sand dunes in a holiday town is appropriate," he said.

Fylde Borough Councillor Howard Henshaw, whose ward includes Clifton Drive North and the sand dunes, said: "It's been ongoing for several years. It seems to be a popular meeting place."

He said a number of residents had approached him with their worries. "It's particularly bad near to Pontin's because you have got kids playing.

"I have reported it to the police and they say they do patrol there but they said they can't have people there all the time. But I have seen the police horses patrolling the dunes."

He said the police would take "positive action" against anyone -- gay or straight -- if they were caught committing "acts of gross indecency or indecent exposure".

Paul Norris, Fylde Borough Council spokesman, also refuted claims the council were not concerned. He added: "Any activity which appears to break the law on council land would be reported to the police and we would urge members of the public to do likewise."

WORRIED Citizen reader has told how he encountered gay men having sex in the sand dunes while children were playing just yards away.

The St Annes father, who asked not to be named, decided to speak out after St Annes woman June Davies told how a man approached her and her 13-year-old daughter on the sand dunes off Clifton Drive making comments of a sexual nature.

He said: "It's a regular thing every summer and the police and the council don't seem to be bothered about it."

He said that, according to local police, the dunes were advertised on the internet as a meeting place for gay men looking for sex. "I take my dog over the dunes but in the summer I just avoid the area because it's full of them," he added.

And he told of how when out walking recently he stumbled across two men having sex. "Twenty yards away children were playing. What people do in their own homes I'm not bothered about but I don't think on the sand dunes in a holiday town is appropriate. It's bad news for St Annes."

Fylde Borough Councillor Howard Henshaw, whose ward includes Clifton Drive North and the sand dunes, said: "It's been ongoing for several years. It seems to be a popular meeting place."

He said a number of residents had approached him with their worries. "It's particularly bad near to Pontin's because you have got kids playing. It's not that the people involved are gay -- I'm not homophobic -- I object to heterosexual couples doing this on the sand dunes just as much.

"I have reported it to the police and they say they do patrol there but they said they can't have people there all the time. But I have seen the police horses patrolling the dunes."

Sergeant Gary Roberts of St Annes police said officers had received complaints about sexual activity in the sand dunes.

He said the problem was being tackled in a number of ways, including preventative operations and ground patrols working with an air support unit which overflies the area and notifies officers of any suspicious activity.

"We have used plain clothes patrols in the area which has resulted in the detection of offences and prosecutions."

He said the police would take "positive action" against anyone -- gay or straight -- if they were caught committing "acts of gross indecency or indecent exposure".

He added that he was not aware of the dunes being advertised on the internet as an area for gay sex but that anyone who had seen any such adverts should contact the police.

Paul Norris, Fylde Borough Council spokesman, also refuted claims the council were not concerned. He added: "Any activity which appears to break the law on council land would be reported to the police and we would urge members of the public to do likewise."

Police dunes patrol