Police take action to stop anti-social behaviour and sexual activity in Ashfield beauty spots
Concerns have been raised over anti-social behaviour and sexual activity taking place in an Ashfield beauty spot.
Police are now working to ‘put an end’ to incidents at Nomanshill Wood and Thieves Wood, near Ravenshead, after discovering paraphernalia and signage linked to the behaviour.
Nottinghamshire Police is working alongside the Forestry Commission, which owns the woods, to restore the area and ‘make it safe for families and dog walkers’.
This work will include paraphernalia being removed and undergrowth being cut away, opening up the woodland to the road.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: “We are acutely aware that activity may be seen as targeting segments of the community, please be assured this is not the case.
“The woodland as an area of natural beauty is there for all of the community enjoy and ASB and sexual offences such as outraging public decency or exposure equally apply within this woodland as they would if committed in the town centre.
“We are not seeking to criminalise lawful consensual activity between adults but need to highlight that these woodlands are a public place and not an appropriate place for such activity.
“The hope is by raising these concerns through our social media posts, signage that is to be added at the location and increased patrols we can put an end to the for mentioned behaviour though an engage, explain and encourage approach, but it is only fair to explain that if this fails we would then have to move to an enforcement approach with arrests where appropriate and prosecutions where offences are identified.”
In a statement on Ashfield Police’s Facebook page, the team explained the work is in large part down to concerns raised by residents.