A mountain of rubbish was discovered at a Lake District beauty spot by a local runner.
A Cumbria Crack reader shared his dismay at finding so much litter and discarded items at Buckstones Jump, near Rydal, yesterday, Friday May 29.
The area is popular for wild swimming.
They said: “I live in Rydal and went for a run up to Buckstones Jump.
“Expecting to find some rubbish, I took two bin bags with me to collect it up.
“But what I found there was an absolute mess.”
They said there was toilet paper floating in the swimming pool and all over the area and burnt ground from barbecues and fires.
They added that they also found three pillows and an air bed, plus empty cans, crisp packets and cigarette ends among other rubbish.
They added: “I find this quite frustrating as people post online about how beautiful this spot which has attracted large crowds and a minority of people that think it’s okay to illegally camp and leave all of their rubbish.”
New Public Space Protection Orders have come into force in parts of the national park.
Friends of the Lake District wants to understand if the commitment to ramp up enforcement is having an effect on the ground.
The findings of this new survey will be used in campaigning for improvements to policy and practice relating to visitor behaviour: more frequent visits to fly-camping hotspots, tougher action on those responsible and better preventive measures.
