Thousands of sex enthusiasts have descended on a sleepy village for Britain’s biggest swingers festival.
The four-day sex and fetish event – called Swingathon -kicked off on Thursday in the quaint hamlet of Allington, near Grantham, Lincolnshire.
But residents have complained to police about ‘screaming and moaning’ coming from the countryside site and keeping them up at night in previous years.
This year’s X-rated festival is Swingathon’s biggest yet and features ‘play tents’, pole dancing, hot tubs, foam parties, mobile dungeons – and butt-plug bingo.
Kinky guests have forked out £265 a ticket and numbers have doubled from 500 to 1,000 in the last year with organisers promising it will be ‘bigger, bolder, better’.
The event is also incorporating another raunchy festival aimed at people with fetishes called FetFest.
Fetfest with feature BDSM and sex toy stalls, ‘bookable private play areas’ as well as a whip throwing area ‘to get some practice in.’
The event will also see a number of bands performing, alongside DJs, dancers and comedy acts.
Other entertainment includes a Naked Attraction-style competition, drag and burlesque acts as well as sensual massages.
Organiser Kerry Voellner said: ‘The event offers a very social and safe space for people from different lifestyles to meet new people.
‘This year it’s bigger, better and bolder. There will be fire breathers, pole dancers, acrobats and much more.
‘We have a huge LGBT space and we do a lot of workshops. There is a whole holistic offering.
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‘There are two festivals this year. They are separate but on the same day. We realised quite quickly there was a bigger demographic and there are a lot of people into other alternative lifestyles.
‘FetFest is for modern people who are into fetishes. We are just a normal festival for people with alternative lifestyles.’
The event was given the go ahead despite objections being raised last year by South Kesteven District Council licensing committee.
Lincolnshire Police also objected based on prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and protecting children from harm.
However, organisers were granted a temporary events notice (TEN) and said they’ve faced more support this year from the local authority.
Co-organiser Matthew Cole said: ‘It’s nice to have their support this year. Last year we had to go through a headache from start to finish, but this year is totally different and they are working so much better with us.
‘They are giving us advice on how we can do better, so to have them more on board this year is great. I think they have realised we are not going anywhere. We have put a lot of work into the event and a lot of time into it.
‘We have sold more tickets than ever and having the council on side as well, it could not be going any better than I wanted.’
Residents this year have given a mixed reaction to the festival once again being on their doorsteps with some saying it was ruining their rural peace.
One local resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Each to their own I suppose but we don’t really want or need it in the village.
‘It all seems a bit seedy if I’m honest, not my cup of tea. I heard about the noise complaints previously and they’re not the sounds you want to hear when you’re trying to sleep.’
Another added on social media: ‘If everyone attending is up for it, there’s no problem.
‘Let them get on with it, enjoy what they want to do, and I’m pretty certain they will!’
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