Sex festival in woods causes outrage in Tunbridge Wells

'I’m no prude but this is a residential area. Where will the coaches park?'

A sex festival featuring an S&M dungeon and an "adult play area" staffed by dominatrixes has caused uproar in a quiet Kent town.

Residents of Tunbridge Wells - famed for expressing disgust in letters to newspapers - have complained about the "kinky rave festival" being held in local woodland this weekend.

Flamefest promises DJs, circus performers, and workshops on everything from erotic writing and spanking to nipple tassel-making and "foot worship".

Up to 500 people are expected to attend, paying up to £300 to stay in boutique tents.

The event's website says it brings together "the purest, most hedonistic elements of the party scene, from kinksters to ravers".

It adds: "Our outdoor dungeon is discreetly secluded, furnished with fetish play equipment and monitored by our friendly assistants.

“Explore pain, experience pleasure and fulfil your fantasies on this mystical site, where witches’ covens have met for centuries.”

But locals claim they were not consulted about the festival, being staged in Brokes Wood on the outskirts of the town from Friday until Sunday.

Councillor Dianne Hill said she had received a number of complaints.

"I’m no prude but this is the wrong place for this sort of thing. It’s a residential area," she told Kent Live.

She added: "A big worry is they say there will be coaches coming down. Where are they going to park? People are obviously going to be concerned about the noise."

She said locals had been unaware the festival was taking place because it had a temporary event licence, which meant it did not need approval by a council licensing committee.

But Flamefest organiser Helen Smedley stressed it was a "private event" and no sex would be on show to the public.

She said there were "strict rules" on sex and nudity outside of one tent, which would be completely blacked out.

"We allow people the safe place to have sex - we're monitors, just to make sure everyone's safe," she added.

"There's nothing that happens in view on site. People go off to their tents to meet like minded people."