Lake District litter and fly camping a 'heartbreaking' scourge

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Litter picker Mila Ambrozkova says pants are among the most commonly found items

Hacked-down trees, smouldering barbecues, abandoned tents. Barely a day goes by without destruction, littering and illegal camping in the Lake District being highlighted on social media by those left living with the mess.

"A lovely chocolate surprise would probably be the best way to put it," says Mila Ambrozkova euphemistically as she points to a collection of soiled nappies dumped between bushes.

Just a minute or two later, she shouts up at a different spot: "It's a designer pair of pants. I don't think they're my size, though, so I'm not going to be keeping them."

"It seems to be a trend to hang a dog poo bag on a tree like a Christmas decoration," says fellow litter picker Annie Garforth. "And the amount of human waste is ridiculous.

"We've previously found a garden chair that had been carried to the lakeside with a hole cut in the middle so they could do their business."

Armed with grabbers and bin bags, Miss Ambrozkova and Mrs Garforth are among dozens of people braving morning rain and unseasonably cool temperatures as they make their way along the shores of Derwentwater at Keswick.

They are part of tidy-up efforts carried out by a group called the Binfluencers - a play on the social media influencers Mrs Garforth accuses of being "the death of this place", as they compete for likes, follows and the perfect photo "without mentioning anything about the Countryside Code".

Discarded bottles - often smashed - are a particular blight, residents say

Set up by Mrs Garforth earlier this year, the group's weekly, hour-long get-togethers usually feature half a dozen locals but, as frustrations heighten, today's numbers are swelled by an online appeal for volunteers.

Along with broken bottles and empty cans, the pickers regularly spot tents dumped along lakeshores, with ground charred by disposable barbecues and, in some cases, trees hacked down for firewood.

It is, Mrs Garforth says, "heartbreaking".

"People seem to think they can pitch a tent anywhere they want. There's no understanding that wild camping is only tolerated above a certain height and that you can't just rock up at a lakeshore.

"There's no getting through to them. If you try to talk to them you either get abuse back or ignored."

Many discarded items are found along the lakeshore and in nearby wooded areas

About 18 million people flock to the Lake District each year, but Mrs Garforth fears the Unesco World Heritage Site's infrastructure cannot deal with what she describes as "over-tourism".

"Public toilets are few and far between and often you can't find a bin for love nor money, but social media's had a huge part in things getting worse."

Conservation charity Friends of the Lake District has also been vocal on that subject.

It said littering and illegal fly camping - which takes place away from designated camp sites and without landowners' permission - had seemingly increased "in the wake of a slew of social media videos of influencers sharing their experiences without sharing how to visit responsibly".

Aiming to play a part in reversing that trend is Cameron Occleston.

Cameron Occleston hopes to influence those who authorities struggle to reach

The 22-year-old from Carlisle, who posts on platforms including Instagram and X as CamIsExploring, is one of two influencers so far enlisted by the Lake District National Park Authority for a summer-long pilot.

It intends to spread a message to be "Lake District Kind". But, with more than six million tags for the location appearing on Instagram alone and the scheme having a budget of just £6,000, how much can he realistically achieve?

Looking out across Derwentwater as children play and dogs bark excitedly on their hunt for sticks, Mr Occleston is optimistic he can make "a big difference".

His content, he says, is watched by people who would not normally be receptive to messages from organisations such as the park authority.

"I've built up a young audience who are getting into the outdoors more and I pride myself on championing the Countryside Code and leaving no trace. If people post irresponsibly then I always try to guide them.

"I'm not expecting my videos to mean no-one leaves litter, but if I change one person's mind about leaving a tent or bagful of rubbish then I see that as being worthwhile."

Abandoned camping equipment is another regular bugbear of locals

While welcoming "the right messaging" from people such as Mr Occleston, the Friends head of engagement Jeremy Smith says the park authority, local councils and police must take the matter "a lot more seriously".

That, he argues, would involve a more co-ordinated approach, greater enforcement of fines and a rethink on "the model of tourism we want".

It should, he contends, lead to the introduction of a visitor tax of one or two pounds per day to help "mitigate some of the impacts".

"Overwhelmingly people think the problem is getting worse," he says. "One of the challenges is the number of agencies that are involved.

"A lot of people tell us they either don't know who to contact or that they get bounced from one organisation to another without anything being done.

"More regular patrolling and a few examples of people receiving sanction would go a long way towards showing these forms of behaviour shouldn't be accepted."

The Binfluencers warn litter is spoiling the beauty of the Lakes

Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner David Allen disputes the organisations involved have been slow to react and cautions that the situation is complex.

"A lot of the fly camping takes place on private land," he explains. "In those instances, the police don't have a huge number of powers. If anything, that's a civil trespass matter."

He points to public space protection orders (PSPOs), like one put in place by Cumberland Council last year, as a key tool while admitting they are "not a silver bullet".

"The fines of £100 [for breaches] are not enough in my opinion, but at least you have an authority working to tackle it."

There are also plans for more patrols and community action days.

Given the size of the area in question, though, and with money and staffing tight for all involved, are police and the other organisations fighting a losing battle?

Allen says no, calling for people to report issues directly to the councils, police or landowner rather than solely posting online.

However, he states categorically: "You're not going to be able to enforce your way out of this.

"We cannot cover all the beauty spots we have in Cumbria. It's simply not possible.

"I think we can certainly make things better than they are now, providing powers are in place, but there's an educational element needed among wider society.

"It is deeply unsettling - and I speak as a local who loves the lakes and goes paddle-boarding - but the public cries for help are not being ignored."

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