Mounted branch to deter sexual behaviour in park

May 6 2010 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

COPS in Bellshill are to deploy mounted patrols to crack down on lewd sexual behaviour in Strathclyde Park.

Police have responded to concerns from local people over what is described as “promiscuous sexual activity” taking place regularly in certain areas of the park.

A number of reports had been made to police about visitors to the area using car parks at night to engage in sexual acts.

For at least seven years, Strathclyde Park has had a reputation for strangers meeting up to have anonymous sex.

The Advertiser reported in 2003 how the park was mentioned on a “dogging” website, stating that couples regularly met up in the area’s car parks for group sex.

A police spokesman told the Advertiser yesterday (Wednesday) that they hope the presence of the police horses in the park will now educate those participating that it is a crime to engage in such conduct.

He added: “We want to educate and remind people that the park is not an area where you can behave in that way. It is a place for people to take their families, and the last thing anyone wants to see is people engaging in promiscuous sexual activity.”

The move comes after the positive results of a crackdown on youth disorder and violent and anti-social behaviour in the Orbiston area of Bellshill.

After ongoing problems with youths from Bellshill and Motherwell fighting at Orbiston Bridge and the surrounding area, police confirmed this week that there had been a reduction of 30 per cent in the number of youth-related calls to the area and they had made some significant arrests and detections, due in part to the support of the mounted branch.

Now, police hope the expansion of the crackdown will have a further positive effect on the Orbiston area, as well as responding to complaints of sexual activity in Strathclyde Park.

Chief Inspector Angus McPhail, area commander at Bellshill, said this week: “Orbiston has now seen a decline in incidents and I am confident that we now have the upper hand in tackling the offenders who blight the area with disorder and violence.

“I have continued with the mounted patrols in Orbiston and they are now expanding the patrols to cover Strathclyde Park as I have had complaints recently about promiscuous sexual activity taking place within specific areas of the park, which will not be tolerated.

He continued: “The mounted police are ideal in this type of terrain as they can travel quite freely about the woodland walks and fields and they have a real presence about them.

“These patrols should hopefully reassure the community and support the park wardens who we are working closely with us to tackle these areas of concern.”

Sergeant Dale Clinton, of the mounted branch at Blairfield Farm, said: “The mounted branch is delighted to support this initiative by Bellshill’s police officers to deter both violent and anti-social behaviour in the Bellshill area and also to deter any acts of sexual activity within the environs of Strathclyde Park.

“One of the main functions of the mounted branch is to conduct high-profile targeted patrols and more often than not, and indeed in the case of these patrols, the mere presence of the mounted officers and their horses has been enough to deter such activities.”