ACTION is being planned to stop groups of people meeting for sex in a lay-by and picnic area near Darlington.

Two areas just to the north of the town, on the A68, are being advertised as locations for "dogging" - meeting to have sex with strangers in public places - on swingers' websites.

Residents have been concerned about the activities for a number of years, but although the lay-by was fenced off, the barrier was broken and the liaisons continued.

Councillor Norman Welch, chairman of Archdeacon Newton Parish Council, said: "It is only two fields away from me so yes, it is very close.

"It's not just happening at night now, it's happening during the day as well. We believe it is mainly men going there.

"We have had support from a gay support group in Darlington, who are trying to help stop it. But it has gone on for two years.

"The council has tried to solve it before by putting fences up, but the fences were pulled down and broken by people who wanted to use the lay-by."

Mobile telephone numbers have also been discovered at the site, pinned to posts, and pornographic literature is littered around the lay-by.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said the police, community safety officers, members of Gay Action Darlington and staff from the council's highways department had visited the site to assess the situation.

He said: "We are going to repair the fence and we are going to put signs at the site saying that the area is being monitored. It will be monitored by police and community wardens as well."

On the "dogging" website, the picnic site is advertised as "a secluded path leading away from the area, and this is where the dogging action takes place. The site is also used by the local gay community".

The lay-by is promoted as "surrounded by trees with lots of dogging activity with couples and singles, especially at the weekend".

Other sites promoted on the site include a lay-by on the A66 between Stockton and Darlington, one near Sedgefield, and another at Bishop Auckland.