You know when see a view so beautiful it kind of takes your breath away? You stand there for a few minutes, gazing at the wonder of god’s creation and take a blissful moment of solitude to think about how small we all are, really, in the grand scheme of things. Then the minute passes and you say to yourself: ‘corr blimey, look at that lush view, I really must have sexat it.’
No? Not something you’ve experienced?
Well you might just be in the minority, because apparently a famous North Wales beauty spot is making people feel so amorous that the police have actually had to issue a warning about having sex in public. After several complaints from members of the general public, police are now threatening to put on extra patrols and increase CCTV coverage to stop people ‘seeking and being actively engaged in sexual acts’.
The view in question is the layby between Menai Bridge and Llanfairpwll on Anglesey, where police are now taking ‘a multi agency advisory approach’ to stop all the rampant boning that’s evidently going on. If further complaints are received, police will then decide on enforcing the law with more directed police patrols ‘high profile CCTV technology’. Which all sounds like a bit of a boner killer, doesn’t it?
So if you’re planning to make like our Welsh brethren and indulge in some al fresco sex, how do you avoid landing in a police cell? Well, it turns out that outdoor sex isn’t strictly illegal per se, but you do risk being charged with a number of criminal offences if you’re not careful, notable The Sexual Offences Act, outraging public decency and the Public Order Act. Interestingly, your sexytimes must be witnessed or be able to be witnessed for it to be in breach on these acts. So it’s a bit of a ‘if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to here it, does it make a sound?’ type of a situation – if you have sex outdoors and there’s no possibility of it being overlooked, then you’re not breaking any law. The law in this area is not to restrict two people having fun, it’s to protect people who don’t want to get an eyeful of witnessing it.
So the moral of this story is that, if you’re thinking of having sex outdoors any time soon, do a quick (romantic, possibly holding hands?) recce of the area to make sure you’re not going to be overlooked mid-bonk. And, with increased police patrols now a standard, probably best to steer clear of the layby between Menai Bridge and Llanfairpwl. Although it does have lovely views.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.