Hampshire County Council has blocked cars from parking in a 300-yard lay-by on the A31 near Alresford

Civic chiefs reduced parking space at the 300-yard-long lay-by on the A31 just outside Alresford.

The road has been narrowed and heavy timber kerbs laid to stop people parking their cars.

For many years the area has been a night-time meeting place for people seeking sexual partners in the woodland just outside Ovington.

The news has been welcomed by the area’s only residents, Derek and Pauline Mason, owners of Mews Cattery.

They said dogging has been a problem for 20 years but the road has been quieter since the closure in March.

Mrs Mason said: “They just don't want it as a layby. There's lots of reasons why Hampshire closed it.

“There's nobody here now because they can't park. It's peaceful. You don't get as much through traffic anymore.”

Councillor Seán Woodward, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, told the Daily Echo: “There have been problems with anti-social behaviour in the lay-by off the A31 near Ovington for some time and a number of measures and initiatives have been tried by the relevant agencies to address these.

Seán Woodward

“Unfortunately, serious anti-social behaviour incidents have continued to be reported in the area and further action was required.

“Therefore, Hampshire County Council, working with the Police and Winchester City Council, and responding to requests for restrictions on the use of the layby, has resulted in its closure.

“The road has been physically narrowed to limit its use to a service road for accessing local properties only and is no longer suitable for stopping and parking. Early indication shows that this measure has been a success, but we will continue to monitor the situation.”

One victim of the closure has been the snack van which ran perfectly respectable business in the lay-by during the day.