Last month DUP Alderman Maurice Devenney called for action to stop people carrying out lewd sexual acts in Prehen and Ness Wood. He told the Sentinel there had been an escalation in indecent behaviour, commonly known as ‘dogging.’

He was contacted by people in a distressed state who had accidentally stumbled upon people engaged in such exotic activities. Now the Sentinel can reveal that 3,729 people in Counties Londonderry and Donegal have signed up to ‘Swing4Ireland,’ which claims to be ‘Ireland’s number 1 swinging site!’ ‘Swinging’ according to the website is the phenomenon of couples and single people “attempting to meet exciting sensuous people who are interested in the same of similar lifestyle activities.”

In Londonderry this is manifest by people openly advertising places such as Ervey Woods and Prehen Playing Fields as well as areas in the vicinity of a number of well-known public bars as meeting places for ‘dogging.’

One individual purporting to be a 39-year-old single man and describing himself as a “discreet, good-looking professional” looking for “no strings attached fun” recommends Ervey Woods as a site for ‘dogging’ and “daytime and evening fun.”

Another, claiming to be a 38-year-old single man describes himself as “sex mad Ryan” and recommends Prehen Playing Fields for ‘dogging.’

There’s a monthly swinging club run out of private flats in Donegal, advertised on the website. According to the people behind the ‘Unique Swinger Club’ a group meets once a month at an undisclosed venue to ‘swing.’

Across the island Londonderry was in 14th place in terms of membership with 1,670 members. This was surpassed by Donegal, which was in 12th place with 2,059 members. In Tyrone membership was much lower at 913 members. The website dogging afterdark has been on the internet since 1999, providing its members with full lists of dogging locations including maps and directions.