AS LOCKDOWN is gradually eased, Lakes residents have reacted to the sudden arrival of visitors who have not left the area as it should be.

The Lake District has seen a significant increase in the number of visitors, with many acting with great consideration towards the area, however National Park staff have been left to deal with greater amounts of litter left by visitors. Over 300 bags of litter were collected by National Park staff over the previous weekend. Items include BBQ, gas cannisters and discarded food.

Richard Leafe, chief executive of the Lake District National Park Authority said: “We’re delighted the nation has such an appetite to the visit the Lake District.

“Our communities have been hit hard by COVID19 and as they start to recover, we ask all our visitors to be kind to both people and the place when they arrive. We’ve had some real issues with littering, fires, illegal camping and terrible car parking in the last couple of weeks."

Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Slattery said: “As the lockdown measures are eased across the country and foreign holidays are not available, many people are choosing to visit the Lakes and Dales but we appeal to all visitors to respect the environment and the local communities.

“Surveys show that 68 per cent of the visitors had never visited before, so we want to stress how important it is for new visitors to protect this World Heritage Site.”