Russell Square

Russell Square is a public garden square in Bloomsbury, near the British Museum. For decades it was one of central London's known cruising spots. Activity is much reduced now and the gardens are locked overnight. Police patrol the area and robberies have been reported. Cruising itself is not a crime in England, but sex where the public can see it can lead to arrest for outraging public decency or exposure, and in a public toilet it is a specific offence. Robberies and homophobic attacks on men in London parks do happen. Keep your phone charged, carry little, tell a friend where you are, and report incidents to the police or to Galop, the LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity. For somewhere certain, the Soho bars and saunas are a short walk away.