'˜Crusing gays' website names Wigan Wallgate toilets as top spot

“Cruising Gays”, a website which gives homosexual men hints and tips on finding casual sex sites, has named Wallgate train station toilets as one of the most lucrative spots for meeting a willing partner in Wigan.

Cruising is a term defining the act of scouring a public place to find a lover.

The website uses a rating system with information for those looking for a no strings attached liaison and the male platform toilets have received four stars out of five due to the “peep holes”, the variety of men and the lack of police.

According to Cruising Gays, the crowd that can be found in the toilets offers “all sorts of people passing through.”

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said that officers would be forced to intervene if anyone was found to be breaking the law.

They said: “If a crime was being committed such as outraging public decency or anti-social behaviour then of course officers would respond appropriately.

“If members of the public wish to report anything they can discreetly text 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, speak to officers on patrol at the station, or members of rail staff who are happy to assist.”

According to the website, the sink area of the toilets can be seen by stationary trains on the platform, which is listed under the “warnings” section.

The forum has also named a number of other spots, some of which are already well known locations for “dogging” and voyeurism, including Wigan landmark Haigh Hall. The council-owned park, which is surrounded by woodland, has a much lower rating of two out of five because of the “dog walkers” and “mild police activity”, but it still joins Beacon Lane car park in Up Holland, Porter’s Wood in Orrell and Hunter’s Hill Quarry in Parbold on the limited list.

The site sheds a light on some of the “al fresco” activity that takes place across the borough, and even suggests that “businessmen” and “van drivers” are among those regularly taking part, particularly at Beacon Lane.

In the past, Greater Manchester Police have advised that there are a number of laws which apply to sex in a public place which use a variety of terms such as indecent exposure, public lewdness and gross indecency.

In some jurisdictions, an offense is committed only if the participants are seen by others, so that a sex act may occur in a closed toilet cubicle without an offense being committed.

The Sexual Offences Act 2013 prohibits “sexual activity” in a public toilet, but there is no mention of sex in other public places.

However, public sex acts can still be punishable if it can be proven that it was witnessed by a third party, or that there was a high likelihood of the act being seen.