Tooting Bec Common

Tooting Bec Common is a large open common in south London, between Balham and Streatham. It has had a reputation for gay cruising for decades. By day it is shared with dog walkers, runners and the lido crowd, and large parts are unlit at night. 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.