By Juliette MaxamA VICAR who saw a couple having sex in a field outside his children's bedroom window has criticised rising levels of vandalism, violence and anti-social behaviour in his village.

By Juliette Maxam

A VICAR who saw a couple having sex in a field outside his children's bedroom window has criticised rising levels of vandalism, violence and anti-social behaviour in his village.

The Rev Martin Flowerdew, vicar of St Osyth, has written a diatribe in the village parish magazine provoked by a couple who had a “daylight sex romp” outside his three-year-old twin daughters' window.

Mr Flowerdew's message to the couple was: “If you have to do such things, do you have to do it in broad daylight, not yards from overlooking children's bedroom windows and lying down where about 50% of the dogs of St Osyth regularly pass by?

“If I was you, not only would I burn my clothes, but I would be seriously worried about whether the vicar had videoed the whole episode. It may well be that I did and the tape could be with the police.

“On the other hand, with my warped sense of humour, I might simply be the sort of bloke who would publish the pictures on the internet to show how poorly endowed the guy is.”

Mr Flowerdew added when people said what a lovely place St Osyth was, he now qualified his agreement.

“Beyond the weatherboarding and ancient stone we sometimes experience things that are much more common nationally,” he said.

“Just occasionally we see the sort of things that have divided other communities and driven people to stay within the sanctuary of their homes.

“Daylight sex romps are sadly only the tip of the iceberg of the ills that we are increasingly experiencing. Vandalism, violence and anti-social behaviour, while still being at a low level compared to many places, all seem to be on the up.”

Mr Flowerdew put the increase in such behaviour down to a general fear of retribution that stoppeds people from speaking out against wrongdoing, and a lack of confidence in the legal system and police force.

He added: “We have no confidence in a society where individuals have become so self-centred that they don't give a toss what others think.”

Michael Talbot, a St Osyth parish councillor, said it was concerned about levels of nuisance crime in the village, such as vandalism.

“It's the cost of some of these things. Recently the cricket club got a set of screens vandalised and smashed, which will cost £1,500 to replace,” he added.

“The windows at the village hall were targeted. We have had litter bins vandalised and our red telephone box.”

Mr Talbot said villagers were not reporting such crimes to police because they considered it to be a waste of time.

The parish council has written to the Essex Chief Constable complaining about a lack of police presence in the village.

It received a reply from an inspector with Clacton police, which it was unhappy about, sparking the council to write another letter to the chief constable, North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin and Home Secretary Charles Clarke.

Pc Rob White, St Osyth community police officer, said there had not been an increase in reports of crime in the village.

“Compared to other areas in this division there isn't much crime, it's the lowest level of crime in Essex,” he added.

juliette.maxam@eadt.co.uk