A controversial Facebook page requesting tales about the sex lives of Arbroath’s inhabitants has been shut down.
The openly searchable profile appeared on Sunday afternoon and was filled with lurid comments and offensive language within hours of its creation.
More than 400 Facebook users “liked” the page and those behind it requested users send in pictures and information on alleged intimate relations between locals.
Arbroath East and Lunan councillor Martyn Geddes said that the page represented a danger to the reputations of people in the town and reported it to Facebook security moderators.
“The page was probably started in jest but when you look at these types of things they can easily turn into a platform for people to talk about ex-partners,” said Mr Geddes.
“Folk could just start spreading rumours on it and there’s no real comeback. Pages like this can be reported, however, and they can get shut down.”
The page offered no other descriptive information other than its title, which was too explicit to print, a crude cartoon image, and a request for users to “send us your best or worst”.
Its operators published several updates which appeared to name local young men and also vowed to make “memes” out of photographic submissions still images with a humorous or offensive caption in bold white letters on top of it.
Mr Geddes added: “The people behind this page probably think they are the ones that are going to look good out of it, but what would happen if someone said something about them?
“It’s anonymous and that’s the problem. Pages like this are a relatively new thing but how many toilet walls have you seen with people’s phone numbers on it? Given the tools, people do things like this.
“The internet is a mirror to humanity and the only way you could really get rid of things like this would be to destroy the internet.”
Mr Geddes reported the page and it appeared to have been taken down by Monday afternoon.
Fellow Arbroath councillor David Fairweather echoed Mr Geddes’ comments.
“I have heard some disgraceful nonsense in my time as an elected member but this must be one of the worst,” he said.
A spokesman for Facebook said: “This page breaches Facebook’s policies and has now been removed.”