GORSE Hill and Ferndale are among Wiltshire’s most perverted areas, figures show.

In the past decade there have been 146 flasher reports in the area formerly covered by the Swindon north central community policing team.

The district, covering the area around Gorse Hill and Ferndale, had 73 times the number of exposure reports as south west Wiltshire town Mere. With just two flashing incidents, in 2008 and 2014, Mere was the town with the fewest reports.

Previously, Swindon has been dubbed the pervert capital of the UK after Home Office figures revealed the town had more peeping toms and flashers than anywhere else in Britain. Det Supt Jeremy Carter of Wiltshire Police urged victims to report flashing incidents, as perpetrators often go on to commit other crimes.

Figures revealed

New figures, released to the Adver under freedom of information rules by the Wiltshire force, showed there have been 1,215 reports to police of voyeurs and flashers since 2018.

In Swindon, the north east of the town had the fewest flashing incidents with 31 over the past 10 years.

In 2018, the latest year for which figures are available, police in south Swindon logged the highest number of flashing reports with 10.

Swindon Advertiser:

Davinder Bains

Voyeurism offences were highest in Royal Wootton Bassett over the past decade. That surprising revelation can be put down to the conviction in 2013 of pervert GP Davinderjit Bains, who used a spy watch to film sex attacks on his patients.

Swindon Advertiser:

The number of indecent exposure reports to Wiltshire Police by community policing team

'Log crimes immediately'

Reacting to the figures, Det Supt Jeremy Carter of Wiltshire Police said: “We do not underestimate the impact that incidents such as indecent exposure can have on victims.

“Often, victims will tell us they feel distressed, embarrassed and anxious as a result of what they have witnessed.

Swindon Advertiser:

Det Supt Jeremy Carter

“It is really important that victims report these incidents to police immediately, and where possible, provide a description of the offender and the direction in which they left the scene, to give our officers the best chance of locating, arresting, and putting them before the courts.

“Often, people who commit this type of crime will go on to commit further offences so it is crucial that the public feel confident in reporting incidents to police.”