RESIDENTS of the UK’s dogging capital have slammed cops for trying to clamp down on their raunchy hobby.
Britain’s dogging hotspot is under attack from authorities making efforts to ban the exhibitionist lifestyle.
Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, is the UK’s top location for the sex hobby, according to recent figures released by Swinging Heaven.
Dogging is the term used for people who have sex in public places.
The practice occurs up and down the country as randy exhibitionists play out their fantasies in car parks and woodland across the land.
But the public nookie sessions are increasingly being exposed to CCTV cameras and barriers being placed in popular sites.
Nevertheless, doggers themselves claim finding new public places to practise their hobby is all part of the thrill in the ‘whack-a-mole’ game with the authorities.
“By the time the dogging spots become well known about we have already moved on to another wooded area, country lane or car park,” said a seasoned dogger, who operates in the Huddersfield area.
“I’ve been enjoying this lifestyle for around 20 years and I don’t think we harm anybody. We don’t want anybody to see what we are doing, except those who want to take part or watch.”
Swinging Heaven listed Huddersfield as the country’s dogging epicenter with eight separate sites in the district.
Sun Online visited five sites used in the past, but found no evidence of current use and noted signs, barriers, CCTV cameras and concrete blocks deterring their use.
Scammonden Dam, which sits on the windswept moorland west of Huddersfield, was once a popular dogging spot.
But Yorkshire Water, which owns the reservoir, has fitted security barriers at the car park, which are brought down daily before dusk.
“Scammonden Dam got too well known with the general public and it was time to pick another spot,” said our source, a 54-year-old dad of three.
Castle Hill dominates the skyline above Huddersfield and is a well-known landmark in the area.
Dogging and other antisocial behaviour has led Kirklees Council, which owns the land, to erect curfew barriers to the summit car park, which, again, are closed at twilight.
Stone boulders, concrete blocks, signs and metal barriers have gone up on muddy lay-bys along Litherop Lane, a long, secluded, country road surrounded by woodland and fields, and once a favourite spot for doggers.
However, there is no current evidence of sexual activity along the lane and it seems more popular with fly-tippers, than fly-unzippers.
Dalton Bank Nature Reserve car park was a popular dogging spot, but CCTV cameras have been erected in the area.
And doggers have also stopped using the lay-by near Junction 25 of the M62 after complaints from local businesses.
“We are still carrying out our hobby in the Huddersfield area, but it is a bit like playing whack-a-mole as far as the council rarely goes. Get rid of us in one place and we pop up somewhere else,” said our source.
Although the practice of dogging is not explicitly banned by one particular law, there are a multitude of offences anyone caught doing the dirty in public could be charged with.
These include anything from indecent exposure, public lewdness and gross indecency, to name a few.
People caught dogging could be prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 or under the common law offence of outraging public decency.
In some cases, doggers have found themselves on the sex offenders register.
In February 2021, doggers were warned by police their illicit meet-up did not fall under “essential travel” during the national lockdown.
One man was fined £300 after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules to watch a couple dogging at an Oxfordshire beauty spot.
The term dogging is said to originate from people out walking their dogs who came across people having sex in their cars or in public.
Another explanation is that people participating in the activity would use walking their dogs as an excuse to leave the house.
It has also been suggested that the phrase is derived from peeping toms who would dog couples having sex with each other.
A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “We’re taking firm and practical action to tackle anti-social behaviour right across Kirklees. By working closely with West Yorkshire Police, local councillors and residents, we’re already seeing positive results.
“A good example is the installation of a traffic barrier at Castle Hill, which has led to a clear reduction in late-night disturbances, fireworks and barbeques.
“These measures are helping us protect one of our most iconic landmarks while keeping our communities safe and welcoming for everyone.”
West Yorkshire Police and Yorkshire Water have been contacted for a comment.
What is dogging?
What is dogging?
Dogging is a British slang term for having sex in public while other people watch.
The practice usually occurs in car parks and woodland and frequently involves strangers in either active or voyeuristic roles.
In 2003, the term “dogging” rose to prominence when it was reported that the craze was sweeping the internet as exhibitionists used the web to set up meets.
The practice has spread to other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia, Barbados and Brazil.
How popular is public sex in the UK?
Public sex seems to be something of a national hobby for a great many Brits.
A 2016 survey revealed that 43 per cent of Brits admitted to getting it on in a public place.
The study conducted by TV channel Alibi showed that it was in fact the second most common crime, after speeding, people admitted to having committed.
Some of those surveyed admitted they have sex in a public place on a weekly basis.
In October 2020, research revealed 10,290 horny Brits had searched online for “sex outside” during just one month of Covid restrictions.
