- Police in Ipswich, England, say people are having sex and taking drugs on top of tombstones.
- The force is requesting railings be built around each grave to deter the activity.
Police in Ipswich, England, are seeking protective railings to stop people from having sex on top of the tombstones there.
The Suffolk Constabulary outlined a series of proposals in a letter to Ipswich Borough Council ahead of a meeting on Wednesday about a planned redevelopment of the area around St Stephen's Church.
The medieval church, which was made redundant in 1978, is being converted into a live music venue. BBC News first reported the story.
The building is surrounded by raised tombstones, which Suffolk Constabulary said in the letter are being used for late-night illicit activities.
In the letter, the police said the area already "suffered high levels of crime."
The raised tombstones, positioned in a secluded but publicly accessible location, are "sometimes the site of sexual activity," police said.
They are also frequently being used as makeshift surfaces for drinking and drug-taking, police said.
Suffolk Constabulary predicted that the situation would continue unless the railings were built to block off each tombstone. Another alternative was to put smaller railings are positioned around the top edge of each tombstone.
These methods have been used successfully in other parts of Ipswich to deter criminal activity, police said.
"In a religious setting, this anti-social behavior is particularly disrespectful," Suffolk Constabulary said in the letter.
In a statement to Insider, Suffolk Constabulary said its focus was on making the local area safer. "This may include suggestions and recommendations regarding the general layout of proposed developments," it said.
Ipswich Borough Council told Insider in a statement: "This is a live planning application, therefore comments will be considered before a determination is made."