A bizarre craze that involves performing sex acts in public places - which first hit the national headlines when a well-known footballer admitted taking part in the practice - is now believed to be widespread in Cornwall.

The phenomenon is known as "dogging" and often involves having sex in lay-bys - usually on the bonnets of cars - watched by complete strangers. It is being promoted on seedy internet sites which list places where these sordid activities can be seen and this has caused outrage in nearby communities.

A Packet search of the internet found dozens of web sites containing pornographic pictures of sex acts and listing lay-bys and car parks throughout Cornwall where they are said to take place.

The road between Portreath and Hayle is said on one web site to be the latest location where couples in cars "having fun" can be seen, especially on Saturday nights. Grampound, near Truro, and the Argal reservoir, near Falmouth, are also listed.

"Dogging is very popular in the UK and is all about exhibitionism in car parks and sites where guys and girls would stand by the car of couples or singles to watch a sexy show," says one web site. "Lots of singles and couples like to be watched and to have others join in their sexy fun."

Another web site explains: "Dogging is named after the term 'walking the dog' because that was the excuse participants often gave while engaged in their liaisons."

"Dogging" first hit the headlines when former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore admitted that he had engaged in the practice on Cannock Chase. A TV soap star has also been named in the national press for taking part in similar acts.

A lay-by just outside Grampound - part of the old A390 - is mentioned on several websites and has already been the subject of complaints from Probus parish council.

A local farmer claims that the lay-by is used solely as a meeting place for gay men rather than men and women, which is usually the case.

Full report in this week's Camborne-Redruth Packet