LITTER dumped in Lake District roads, hedgerows and rivers and blighting the area's scenery is causing an eyesore and threatening the area's appeal to visitors, it is feared.
Over the past weeks, readers of The Westmorland Gazette have made it clear that they are sick of South Lakeland's stunning landscape being ruined by litter dumped by thoughtless passers-by.
Rubbish-strewn streets and riverbanks and untidy roadside verges are among some of the issues highlighted in letters.
As well as being ugly, litter is also harmful for the environment, with metal items taking thousands of years to degrade and plastics being virtually indestructible.
It is also poses a danger to animals, which can get tangled up in packaging or trapped in discarded bottles or cans.
This week, The Westmorland Gazette has launched a new campaign, Blitz Lakeland's Litter, in a bid to clean up the worst offending areas.
Readers are being asked to identify their top "grot spots", where mess and litter build up.
For more on this campaign, see today's Westmorland Gazette.
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