Councillors in the Netherlands have agreed to allow gay sex in the public area of an Amsterdam park.

Gay men having sex in the city's famous Vondelpark will be permitted as part of a set of new rules of conduct for the country's best-known park.

"Why should we try to impose something that is actually impossible to impose, which also causes little bother for others and for a certain group actually means much pleasure?", said Paul van Grieken, an Alderman in the Oud-Zuid district of the city.

The park's rose garden has become a well known spot for gay men looking for sex.

Mr van Grieken stresses that tolerance to "cruising" gays, aimed at protecting homosexuals from violence, will have "strict rules attached."

"Thus, condoms must always be cleared away, it must never take place in the neighbourhood of children's playgrounds and the sex must be restricted to the evening and night-time," he told The Telegraph.

The new park rules have the blessing of the Dutch police, who have urged all Dutch parks to follow Amsterdam's lead.

The park, which draws hundreds of visitors, families, skaters and joggers over the summer will be fining those whose dogs are allowed to run around the Vondelpark off the leash.

"Research showed that many people find this disturbing," said Mr van Grieken.