A GROUP of wild campers dumped tents, camping equipment and rubbish on the shores of a Lake District water - causing almost £1,000 worth of clean-up costs for National Trust wardens.

The National Trust has warned the public that acts like this 'cannot be tolerated' following the recent incident of fly tipping in Buttermere.

Tents, sleeping bags, chairs, mattresses, clothing and all manner of rubbish were left behind - including an axe that had been used to chop at nearby trees. Six firepits with burned rubbish were also cleared in an operation that took the Trust two days earlier this month.

Neil Winder, countryside manager for the National Trust, said: "The recent incident of fly camping on the shores of Buttermere resulted in damage to the land including trees on the lakeshore.

"Rangers were taken away from their conservation work to clean up the mess and the skip rental and time cost the National Trust close to £1,000.

"This is a scene that has become far too common in recent years with our team coming together with local partners to find solutions to this and other instances of poor behaviour in the outdoors.

"It is a shame that a minority of people choose to behave this way, ruining the experience for locals and other visitors. In this instance, we have been sent evidence showing the culprits responsible which we are sending to local law enforcement.

"Such criminal damage and littering negatively impacts the landscape and the local community who, along with our rangers, are left to clean up."

The Trust has said that recent trends on social media have led to a surge in wild camping throughout the area, but they encourage people to always abide by the countryside code.

Neil said: "This cannot be tolerated. We would like to remind people that 'fly camping' is strictly forbidden anywhere outside of dedicated campsites in the Lake District despite the recent trend in social media presenting what they see as ideal 'wild camping' sites.

"We would like to ensure everyone has a great time enjoying the outdoors while looking after our natural heritage. You can help us by always following the countryside code and reporting poor behaviour to local police."