Condoms given at casual sex sites

Health workers are handing out condoms at sites in north Derbyshire that are used for casual sex.

For some time, locals have complained about couples meeting for casual sex at a car park at Highoredish near Tansley.

The car park is also popular with visiting families, but Derbyshire County Council said it is now only opened for short periods.

Darley Dale town council chairman John Evans said handing out condoms might be seen as "condoning" the activity.

Mr Evans said he wanted to discuss the issue with health leaders and police.

'Condoning it'

"I suppose if there is somebody who appears to be in authority there, giving out condoms, it could almost be taken as that they're condoning it. So I think it needs to be handled very carefully and very sensitively," he said.

He said the Derbyshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) could be making the problem worse by handing out the condoms.

In a statement, the PCT said handing out condoms at these sites was one of the most effective ways to provide sexual health advice to high risk groups and was a proven way of cutting teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease.

"This type of work is an important way for us to proactively bring the safe sex message to local communities - particularly in rural communities where public transport links to sexual health services may be difficult to access."