IT’S not difficult to understand why sexual morality is a difficult subject area for police officers.

It is more than forty years since homosexual acts between consenting adults in private ceased to be a criminal offence and attitudes generally have changed.

And the so-called “Swinging Sixties” also saw a revolution in discussion of sex and a removal of what many described as “inhibitions”.

Since then there has been a backlash, not least because of worry about the spread of HIV/Aids. But there are some basic things which the majority of people would find offensive.

No one should have to walk into a public toilet and be confronted by men indulging in sex acts or come across sex scenes while out walking in the countryside.

It’s understandable that police should not want to be labelled as persecutors of any minority group.

However, an officer also surely has a duty to act not only on complaints from the public but also if he or she chances upon any situation which they feel to be an affront to public decency.

No one wants police to be agents provocateur. But we do expect them to protect our children from chancing upon sordid and immoral public spectacles.