Lake District chiefs have vowed to crack down on fly-camping as thousands of day-trippers are set to head to the area over the coming Bank Holiday weekend. Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council are both employing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) enforcement powers to fine people engaging in anti-social behaviour on the spot. They have also ramped up multi-agency patrols including the police, which now see wardens patrolling shorelines on boats to spot illegal campsites.
Shocking images of illegal campsites and litter
Shocking pictures taken by the police, park wardens and members of the public have captured the magnitude of the issue this summer. The images show people unlawfully camping in isolated beauty spots, and discarded piles of litter including beer cans, condoms, tents and chairs. Others have captured the moment the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) intercepted thoughtless fly-campers burning fires on tinderbox grass during the hottest days of this year - which could have caused destructive wildfires.
In a statement, Steve Tatlock, Ranger Team Leader for the Lake District National Park Authority, said: "As we are in peak visitor season and approaching the bank holiday weekend, we can see an increase in behaviours such as fly camping, littering, campfires and dangerous parking. The majority of residents and visitors who enjoy the Lake District do so respectfully and consequently make sure to 'leave no trace'. However, as we are in peak visitor season and approaching the bank holiday weekend, we can see an increase in behaviours such as fly camping, littering, campfires and dangerous parking."
Mr Tatlock added: "Whether you’re new to the National Park or a seasoned visitor, everyone is welcome to enjoy the beauty of its unique landscape. We all play an important role in looking after the Lake District, so stick to the countryside code and leave only footprints behind you."
Rules on camping and fines
Wild camping is technically not permitted anywhere in the Lake District without prior permission from the landowner, according to the LDNPA. However, it is normally tolerated for one night if you 'leave no trace' and pitch above the highest fell wall, well away from residential property, lakeshores, fields and woodland. Though it becomes fly camping when all rules are disregarded, with sites often being left behind alongside their rubbish.
Following PSPO guidance, officials can give a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 if a person is found to have broken the rules. This comes as dozens of residents have become increasingly frustrated by an increase in the lawless activity.
Hayley Webb, 49, an outdoor instructor who runs Hayley Webb Mountain Adventures in Cumbria, has spotted scores of sites weekly near her home in Derwentwater in Borrowdale this year. "Fly camping is absolutely an epidemic," she told SWNS. "It seems the more people are told not to do something and why, the more it seems to happen. Most times that I drive past, there is a tent or two. The area is being ruined by this," Ms Webb added. "Much higher fines and consequences are need - £100 just is not enough."
Local residents speak out
Clive Rowlandson, 56, who has lived near the Ullswater Lake area his whole life and says illegal campers are an "eyesore". The keen walker said: "I don't, alongside many locals, walk around the area anymore, we avoid it. When I used to go, I would see about 20 campsites a weekend and I just got sick of seeing it." He added: "They leave scorch marks, and faeces in the grass, chop down trees - it is tragic."
Rangers and Cumbria police have also previously spoken about vandalism, demanding thugs to stop graffitiing and carving their names into trees as well as chopping them down. Earlier this month, a joint operation involving Westmorland and Furness Council, Eden Police, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), and the National Trust saw a young couple fined for fly camping. The LDNPA’s patrol boat, supported by a police spotter, located the camp which had caused environmental damage including ripping up "large amounts of flora". Footage showed how they found the couple had set a "sizable fire" lit upon the "bone dry, peaty ground underneath" which could have caused a wildfire if it was not extinguished by the team.
Scott Cameron, Group Manager for Prevention and Protection at Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, has since "urged" against the use of disposable barbeques, asking visitors to "pack a picnic".
Parking concerns and enforcement
Parking is also a concern, with shocking video from earlier this year capturing dozens of luxury cars like Mercedes and BMWs covered in slurry which a farmer had sprayed after they parked on his field illegally. The farmer, Hogg Hodgson, said he decanted the foul-smelling muck because he was "sick of being abused" by people who park without permission on his land and being fed up with how they "treat the Lake District".
Cllr Andrew Jarvis, deputy leader of Westmorland and Furness Council and councillor for Windermere and Ambleside, said: "The vast majority of visitors to our area behave responsibly but there are too many that cause disruption through illegal parking and antisocial behaviour. My message to visitors is that they are welcome here, but please behave responsibly and think about the impact of your actions on both the area and the local community."
Last weekend saw over 30 cars receive parking tickets for bad parking. A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said: "As we head into the busy August Bank Holiday weekend, we would remind visitors and residents to park considerately and legally at all times." They added that bad parking can cause "obstruction and prevent emergency services, local traffic and public transport from getting through safely".
Steve Tatlock also said: "During the peak season, the National Park Authority is continuing to work with partners through Cumbria’s Strategic Visitor Management Group (SVMG) including the police, landowners and councils, to speak to and educate fly campers and irresponsible parkers as part of regular patrols. These don’t just impact the beauty of the Lake District landscape but disrupt local communities and have the potential to damage vegetation, wildlife and in the case of fires, cause devastation," he added. "The time that staff and volunteers spend cleaning up litter and abandoned campsites takes them away from important conservation and access work. Along with our rangers, we also have a small number of dedicated roles who carry out face-to-face engagement with visitors to educate on the rules around camping in the Lake District."
