Following condemnation last week by the DUP of the practice known as ‘dogging’, the Tyrone Times can reveal that 913 local people are registered members of a website promoting ‘dogging’ at local car parks and public sites in Dungannon, Castlecaulfield, Eglish, Benburb, Ardboe, and Aughnacloy.

A total of 28 locations in the county are advertised on the website dogging after dark, with 7 in the Dungannon District. catering to the needs of couples and single people “attempting to meet exciting sensuous people who are interested in the same of similar lifestyle activities.”

Users have openly advertised meeting spots for ‘dogging’ such as one behind a nursing home near Dungannon Park, with the advice to turn up after dark and flash your car headlights a certain number of times.

Advocates of the kinky practice are also invited to Parkanaur Forest Park and Brantry Lough after dark.

One online writer claims that Parkanaur Forest Park is “starting to get more popular on a sunday or wednesday nite about midnight. Cars flash their lights twice.”

The directions for one reputed site in Ardboe includes the line ‘plenty of hot action from 1am’.

DUP MLA Maurice Morrow condemned the activity. “This behaviour and its flagrant promotion are entirely unacceptable”, he said.

“To attempt to convert beauty spots and areas utilised by families into some sort of deviant den, is to jeopardise everyone else’s accessibility to public spaces.

“Such activities, which are always carried out covertly given the shame which would be invoked on being discovered, are a blight on the borough.” “They will end up driving people out of the public parks, as the threat of sexual activity – consensual or otherwise – is not what the average family expects to encounter when taking children to the park. It is utterly abhorrent, and will not be tolerated.