A Lake District landscape charity has welcomed the approach to tackle fly-camping and anti-social behaviour.
Friends of the Lake District said the visible, more interventionist approach towards littering and fly-camping taken by the police and other agencies over the Easter weekend was a step in the right direction.
A joint patrol was carried out by Cumbria police, Lake District National Park rangers, police and crime commissioner David Allen, the National Trust and Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service.
Last summer saw an epidemic of littering, fly-camping and thoughtless parking that blocked access and clogged roads across the Lake District.
A Friends of the Lake District survey exposed the scale of the problem: 97% of respondents had encountered litter, 80% reported wild-fires or barbecues and 77% fly-camping.
Thirty-four per cent experienced an aggressive reaction when challenging those responsible, with others likely choosing not to do so out of fear for their safety.
Jeremy Smith, the charity’s head of campaigns and engagement, said: “The approach taken over Easter shows what can be achieved by being proactive and visible on the ground, and by publicising cases of people made to clear up after themselves.
“It is imperative that this same level of presence is maintained throughout the summer.”
The charity said over Easter, local litter groups were out and about monitoring levels of littering, fly-camping and campervan overnighting, and observing the effectiveness of the interventions made by rangers and the police.
It added: “One such group, the Keswick Binfluencers, spotted multiple cases of fly-camping around the shores of Derwentwater and at Castlerigg Stone Circle and remain concerned about whether the burst of activity seen over Easter will be sustained or whether the problems will be left to reach the same levels as last year.
Jeremy added: “Throughout last autumn and winter, we urged the responsible authorities to be better prepared for the 2026 visitor season and so we are pleased at how seriously the issues of littering and fly-camping are now being taken.
“Working with community groups across Cumbria, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground and urge tougher action if necessary. The level of action taken over Easter should be the new normal, not a one-off.”
