A HUSBAND and wife who were caught having sex in a car in Epping Forest have been ordered to pay £580 in fines and costs.

Harlow magistrates were told that a forest keeper saw Ozgur Altun and his wife Zeynep Arslan having sex on the back seat of a dark blue Nissan car in Fairmead Road, High Beech, at 3.30pm on Monday, October 9 last year.

Epping Forest keeper John Ward, prosecuting, said the man was asked to get out of the vehicle and told it was an offence to have sex in a public place.

The couple, of Brettenham Road, Edmonton, north London, had admitted a charge of having sex in a public place (disorderly conduct in Epping Forest) by letter having been prosecuted by the City of London Corporation under Epping Forest bylaws. Altun appeared in court for sentencing last Thursday. His wife was not present.

The court heard Altun had told the forest keeper at the time: "I know it's wrong." He said nothing when asked in court whether he wanted to say anything about the offence.

The self-employed mini-cab driver said he earned between £800 and £1,000 a month and had a £400 monthly mortgage payment.

Each were fined £140 and ordered to pay £150 costs, a total of £580, which Altun said he would pay in full, in cash, immediately. Magistrates said they had taken into account the early guilty plea.

The maximum fine for such an offence is £200.