Dodgy dealings in the woods..

[LostPups]

I walk my dogs though a wood every day. I've walked there for a couple of years, but the last few months it's been daily rather than sporadically as my previous walking area has closed to the public. The wood is quiet and because noone really goes there, I can let my dogs off lead to run and chase pheasant and squirrels etc... and they r safe and other dog walkers and dogs aren't disturbed by them. I enjoy the walk and so do the dogs.

But in the last couple of months I've noticed men hanging around at one particular spot which is accessed from a nearby pathway adjacent to a train track. They seem to arrive by bicycle and they r always in the same spot, usually sitting or standing behind a tree (which made me jump the first few times!)

The men I see are usually always alone. They look very out of place as they are generally young (18 to 35), wear puffer jackets, nike trainers and have their phones out. Looks out of place in a muddy wood! Occasionally there'll be a more vulnerable looking man instead of or a little after/before the more trendy looking men.

Anyway, the first few times meeting or seeing these random lone men, it didn't bother me. I:d say hi, they'd say hello back, and I'd carry on my way.

But recently I've been feeling quite unnerved and if I'm honest, a little scared.

I am almost 100% sure the men in the woods have something to do with drugs. I don't know what is happening, who is dealing what, the ins and outs of what they r up to, and nor do I care. But I am starting to get paranoid someone might be finding me annoying and might try to bump me off!! Please tell me this won't happen!?!!

I really don't want to stop walking the pups in this wood, but equally I don't want to spook or piss off a drug dealer!

So .. am I'm being crazy to feel scared and paranoid I might get hurt because I have inadvertently found myself stumbling into the middle of a large drug operation!

Do you think the dealers or whoever they are, actually care im there?

Should I stop walking in the woods? (this will.b hard as nowhere local to let dogs off lead except the woods, and one of my dogs needs to run far and fast)?

Is it a known thing that drug deals happen in woods? Or could something else be going on?

Not far from this field there are also a couple of spots where people seem to regularly have fires, and also an area where there's lots of litter (cans, crisps packets etc..) and evidence of further dodgy stuff - clothes with shop tags still on sprawled.on the ground - stolen goods?

I'm so sad my country walk now feels like I'm intruding into the criminal world and that I shouldn't be on their turf :(

Either drugs or dogging I'd imagine. Take a walking stick and a can of deep heat in your bag.

I would probably report it to the local police number and ask that they send someone to take a look. Hopefully it will scare them off and they'll go elsewhere, at least for a bit.

I doubt they're interested in you, and they're unlikely to risk hurting/killing someone just for being around low-level crime.

🤣 definitely not dogging. It's only one man at a time, though pretty sure one goes in, waits ages, then another goes in and out quickly (probably to deal). Today a man saw me and he literally hid behind a tree! I could see him because he had a white stripe on his black hoody that was easy to spot!. I wanted to shout out 'dont hide on my account. I don't care what you r doing! Just don't kill me!' but instead I just walked really fast in the opposite direction calling my dogs over for protection (but instead they went to find him, tails wagging 😵‍💫)

I would also report to the police non emergency line. But tbh it would put me off walking there if you're going alone. I don't imagine they'd set out to cause you harm but knowing dodgy people are hanging around where I'm walking alone somewhere secluded would make me feel unsafe. If you are feeling that then I think listen to it.

Yeah I should probably do this. But in my mind I've built it all up and convinced myself they will definitely want to murder me if they think I've grassed them up! Hence why I've not said anything to police yet.. (and will the police even do anything/care?)

I'd say drugs.
Could be where they keep their stash out of the way and they are runners picking up to deliver. I'd ring 101 and ler local police know. I'd also stop going there , drugs always equal trouble.

If you don't want to report it just stop going there

Thanks

Defo sounds like drugs. I don’t think you’re in danger per se but I guess if they keep seeing you then it might spook them. If you report to police I wouldn’t walk that way in case they twig it was you.

Thanks. I think people r right and I should stop going there. I just don't know where else to walk the dogs and they need a good walk. But I'll have to figure something out I think as I'm not feeling safe.

it is a mix in the woods at times

Mostly this but....I'd be wary of them. If they are high or whatever, who knows what they could do. I'd worry they'd identify me as the culprit for the police checking the area out too.

Personally I'd avoid the woods.

Can you drive anywhere to walk the dogs instead?

Google the name of the woods along with the word gay. It may have found it's way on to a site for gay anon hookups.

If I was dealing in something illegal, not sure I'd pick a woods to hang around looking dodgy in. Could draw into any number of layby's to do a deal and not look out of place.

Thanks. Yeah I'm not planning to report because it would likely be v obvious it's me and it wouldn't be hard to find where I live or who I am.

I will have to find somewhere to drive to with the pups. Such a pain!

Yeah this is the thing. I'm surprised they would be dealing here. We r a quiet village. Does seem strange, but they come largely on bikes and access the wood via a path off from the pathway (the pathway leads right to near-by city centre - although it's a good couple miles to city centre).

I'm pretty sure this is not a sexual thing or a meet up type thing. Definitely doesn't have that flavour. And it's normally one person I see hanging around for ages, rather than couples or two people emerging looking sheepish! The trees are a bit sparse this time of year so would be hard for me not to have seen two people 'together'.

I think it's very likely to be cottaging. No drugs, just men having sex with men. You won't have seen much because they are cautious about being seen. The pattern of one person hanging around for ages and then the other party rushing off is typical.

They won't do anything in front of you and are probably more wary of you reporting them.

They will be harmless. Ignore them.

It sounds much more likely that they are meeting for sex rather than for drugs. Nobody would need to go into the woods to get drugs and a drug dealer is too busy to be hanging around waiting for people to turn up like that! I'm concerned at the vulnerability of some of these men. How far is this from your house? To be honest I think you're absolute bonkers going there. I wouldn't go there for anything after the first time. I think maybe having dogs with you is giving you a false sense of security.

I'd feel less worried if it was some kind of sex thing. But if it's drugs or anything else I'd be wary. It's not like they'll be out to get you but there could be trouble one day - you might see something and end up getting involved.

Definitely report it. Nobody is going to know it's you. And walk your dog somewhere else - even though it's very unfair on you!

I'd have agreed until I read the bike part. Certainly a word with local police to increase patrols would do no harm.

As you say the gay men providing they are discreet aren't really an issue. In fact I know of one truck driver I spoke to who said he liked parking up overnight in the places the gays met up. With people in and out nobody tried to steal his diesel or load.

They will be (magic) mushroom picking … we get quite a few in the countryside round here.

They definitely won’t kill you!!

Drug dealers don’t make a habit of murdering random dog walkers, it’s not good for business :)

I would always be a bit weary of men in the woods but it wouldn’t worry me any more if they happen to be drug dealers (in fact it would worry me less because they’re there for a reason).

Maybe try going at a different time if it’s making you feel uncomfortable.

🤣thanks! I know I'm paranoid! But I keep imagining worst case scenario as I'm walking along on my own!

Might be into badger baiting (obviously not while you're there but scouting for setts).

I'd def report because if there is something going on its better to disturb it now before it becomes established in your area and attracts more and worse crime.

Well I wouldn't be going their alone again that's for sure

I live near woods in a very rural area, we definitely get drug dealers there, and other suspicious stuff.
i have dogs but I would not walk ok them if the dealers were there.
I’ve reported it constantly to the police, they need to know and if they can they will do something. We did get some local officers come out.

You really should report it.