Cafe next to ‘popular dogging spot for Mancunians’ say it’s costing them £100 a week

The co-owner of a cafe situated next to a popular ‘dogging spot’ has said the act is costing her £100 a week in takings.

Big Baps Cafe is sat in a layby just off the M62 at Brighouse, West Yorkshire, which also happens to be a popular spot for people – Mancunians, in particular – to meet up in their cars for public sex.

Amanda Bissett, who runs the cafe with her sister Sharon Wherrett, has called on Calderdale Council to put up signs to restrict parking to a maximum of two hours, saying she believes she loses around £100 per week due to customers being ‘put off’ by those partaking in the lewd act.

Speaking to Yorkshire Live, Amanda explained that the police had visited the cafe to discuss the ongoing issue, and had mentioned patrols taking place.

Big Baps at Junction 25 / Facebook

She said: “It’s something they [the police] are aware of but it’s not a priority. They reluctantly went for a walk around and said they would patrol but I have not seen anything since.

“It’s something they are aware of but it’s not a priority… They might put some signs up in one or two years.”

In the meantime, Amanda has taken to placing her own home made signs on vehicles parked outside of the cafe for extended periods of time to make room for customers and key workers wanting something to eat on their breaks.

The notes read: “Please do not leave your car in this layby. You should only park here for a maximum of two hours. By parking here, it prevents key workers from parking for a well-deserved rest and a meal break.”

Big Baps at Junction 25 / Facebook

However, her signs have had little effect on the nearby dogging habits as sex litter – discarded condoms and condom wrappers – continue to be an issue for the cafe.

Amanda explained: “Sex litter is still an issue. It has been cold and wet and I don’t think there’s a lot of romance when it’s cold – but it still goes on.”

She even said that one of the doggers themselves had confronted her after she stuck a note to his car: “One man came in and said ‘what’s this’. We told him it was a polite notice and why we left it there.

“He said ‘I don’t give a s**t about the key workers – people should leave us alone. He was here to go down the back (to the public sex meeting place).”

Big Baps at Junction 25 / Facebook

Her sister Sharon spoke out about the issue last year, where she reported seeing ‘two to three doggers every morning’ as she serves breakfasts to lorry drivers and commuters.

She said at the time: “If you came and had breakfast at our cafe you’d see two or three doggers, guaranteed. Most people think it’s funny but it’s actually really seedy.”

This comes after Manchester was hailed as the ‘dogging capital of the UK‘, with researchers finding a massive 131 dogging spots across the city.