Bradford No. 1 Angling Association has demanded action over a secluded spot near the M62, saying fishing fans are being deterred from visiting Kirklees Lagoon, near Brighouse, in West Yorkshire. The wooded location, beside a layby on Wakefield Road, has become "totally out of control", the association claims, and it has called on the council and police to tackle the issue.
Angler finds unconscious naked man
The association says the spot has become a well-known meeting place for men seeking sexual encounters and has been left strewn with used condoms, needles and lubricants, reports Yorkshire Live. The club has been highlighting the problems with police and other authorities for several years and, in recent months, has intensified the campaign by contacting Calderdale Council, police and local councillors.
Angling club secretary Howard Foster contacted Calderdale Council in July to warn that the situation had become "totally out of control." He described one incident in which an angling club member discovered a man, naked and unconscious, on a footpath near the lagoon. The alarmed angler initially believed the man had died. The collapsed man eventually regained consciousness and left the area, says Mr Foster.
Club's concerns detailed in email
In an email to councillors and the local authority, Mr Foster wrote: "On behalf of the Bradford No.1 Angling Association, I am writing to raise the club's serious concerns and dismay over sexual incidents and practices that take place on a daily basis, in broad daylight, at the land surrounding this lagoon by the M62 road bridge, locally known as Kirklees Lagoon."
Although the club owns the lagoon, fishing and access rights, the surrounding land is owned by the council. "Over the last 25 years+, the club has had to endure outside public sexual activities and although we have had meetings with the local police and council representatives, to express our outrage at the media advertising and blatant public use for these sexual activities on this land, nothing has changed and in fact has got worse.
"The area surrounding the lagoon was originally created by the council as a nature reserve for the public to enjoy, but has regressed to an area nationally known as a safe haven for outdoor sexual activities."
Members deterred from fishing
Mr Foster added: "The club has tried to continue to fish the lagoon and spent thousands of pounds to fence off the lagoon, but due to the number of participants practising this sexual behaviour (especially in the summer months), we have regularly had anglers approached by individuals, when walking to the fishery.
"Due to this activity, the number of members prepared to use this fishery, despite it being very local, is a fraction of the membership and has become a no-go area for female, junior and family angling."
"Only very recently, in the last few months, a member walking to the fishery was confronted by the sight of an unconscious naked man on the footpath. As you can imagine, he was shocked and concerned, fearing the individual was dead. Unsure of what to do, the angler immediately reported it to the police and fortunately the individual recovered and ran away before the police arrived."
Council response
Mr Foster told the council that more action is needed to deter people from visiting the woodland for sexual encounters. "Our club has had to endure this for too many years and this latest event, shows the situation is totally out of control and the authorities have been happy to and turn a blind eye to the outdoor sexual practices taking place, in fact certain organisations help the practices by pinning new condoms to the trees for use.
"For too long the law has left it to decent people to report any witnessed incidents, but due to the lack of concerned response by the authorities to previous incidents, people have simply given up and the acceptance by the council/police to allow the land to be used for these outdoor sexual practices to continue."
Mr Foster said he was awaiting a response from the council. Earlier in August, Calderdale Council told Yorkshire Live about the action it was taking. In a statement, the council said: "The woodland close to junction 25 of the M62 junction is managed by Calderdale Council and we understand the issues around this area.
"We work with West Yorkshire Police to address reports of criminal activity and following recent concerns, our community safety team will be increasing patrols in the area.
"We also work hard to try and keep the area clean, although this is an ongoing challenge. Specialist cleans have taken place, and we have taken action to try and discourage littering and anti-social behaviour. This has included signage, fencing, and tree thinning work to reduce cover of the woodland.
"Sadly, we have also seen vandalism at the site, but we’ll continue to do all we can to improve the area. We urge people to respect the environment and the other people visiting the site. If people witness issues of immediate concern, they’re encouraged to report to West Yorkshire Police."
