For those who want to have sex in public, Brentwood is reportedly just a stone's throw from some of the UK's most notorious 'dogging' hotspots.
A Channel 4 documentary, Dogging Tales, broadcast yesterday evening, delved into the realities behind the secretive world of car-park coitus.
Alleged hotspots, found on popular 'dogging' sites, include a layby near All Saints' Church, Hutton, and a quick internet search reveals hundreds of hits for sites in Brentwood.
Michael and Mairead Philpott, jailed this week after being convicted of killing their six children, have also drawn the sordid pastime back into national focus, after it became apparent that it was a practice indulged in by the couple.
A reporter on The Sun newspaper also got a first-hand feel of the public displays of sexual affection by popping down to an undisclosed pub near Brentwood.
The reporter found that their secretive world even had its own language, a complicated system of signals through flashing any of a car's lights.
According to The Sun's report, Langdon Hills is a dogging hotspot. "Langdon Hills is one of the most notorious dogging sites in the manor," said self-confessed 'dogger', 'Len', 48.
A raft of dedicated websites exist for the seasoned or would-be 'dogger', including sites such as 'Swinger Nation'.
'Dogging' is a euphemism for engaging in sexual acts in a public place or watching others doing so
and in most cases breaks several laws.
