Thinning trees and re-routing a walkway are planned to deter sexual activity near a bowling club in central Auckland.

Police received a number of anonymous complaints about the area in Gribblehurst Park over Christmas. The car park is near the Edendale Bowling Club, and busy central city mall St Lukes is also close by.

The complaints were about men meeting at the car park to engage in sexual activity.

''It's not like K Rd but it's obviously more than you would expect to be hanging around the bowling club area,'' police spokesman Gary Allcock said at the time.

"As far as we're aware it's not members of the bowling club, it's other members of the public.''

Since learning of the situation, the Auckland Council has been working with police on the problem.

"We're looking into several ways we can improve safety including thinning the vegetation and re-routing the walkway,'' says council community development and partnerships safety adviser Rachel Orr.

An Edendale Bowling Club spokesman is unimpressed the group has been connected to the area, which has been labelled a "sex hotspot".

''That area is not inclusive of the bowling club. It's in the park.''

He says the club will let police and the council action ''take its course''.

Historian and parks advocate Edward Bennett says this kind of activity is always a problem in city parks.

''It goes on in Auckland Domain and Western Springs.

''If push comes to shove, it's not damaging anyone and people in the park aren't being attacked.

''It's between consenting adults and whilst unsavoury I would have thought it would be low on the police and council's priority list.''

Allcock says minor drug dealing has been a problem in the area in the past but the current behaviour is a new phenomenon.

He says there has been no increase in crime associated with the park's activity but offenders could face criminal charges for such public acts.

''Hopefully they've got a home or somewhere else they could go that's more discreet and less obvious to citizens who use that park, including young people and children.''

Allcock says the safety of participants is also at risk.

''You've got to be careful as well if you're going into the bushes because there's all sorts of people who could prey on you while you're there. It's much better to be safe with this type of activity to do it in the confines of your own home."

Anyone who notices illegal or anti-social activity in any park can call police on 09-302-6400 or Auckland Council on 09-301-0101.