Police patrols are taking place near Hampstead Heath to deter couples who are stopping to have sex.

Couples have been "parking up for sex" in the Vale of Health and leaving "litter", Hampstead's Safer Neighbourhood Panel (SNP) reported.

At a meeting on March 1, Susan West, chair of the SNP, said she had heard from the Vale Residents' Association.

"At the last meeting in August [the chair] was talking about the problem they had there with people smoking cannabis in cars," she said.

"What seems to be going on there now, people are going there for, she would say 'they are going there to have a soirée'.

"Without going into too much detail, while it's not against the law, it's classic antisocial behaviour."

Hampstead and Highgate's Sergeant Nicky O'Hara said: "Now the team isn't being dropped to cover Camden Town, it's definitely a hotspot we can cover on our later shifts."

She added: "If there is a certain person going up there every weekend, once they know it's being policed regularly, that will solve the issue."