Dismay as visitors 'use church as toilet'

Fly camping, littering and using a church as a toilet are spoiling Wasdale Valley, locals are warning

A farmer has said visitor behaviour has become so bad in a Lake District valley that a church has occasionally been used as a toilet.

Julius Manduell, who runs a Herdwick sheep farm and campsite in Wasdale, said most visitors were "well-behaved" but littering, urinating in inappropriate places and illegal parking were getting out of hand.

"Those responsible have no thought for the other visitors or those who have to clean it up," he said.

To tackle the problem the National Trust and Lake District National Park Authority are putting up signs urging visitors to help keep beauty spots clean.

The new signs put up by the National Trust urge visitors not to light fires or barbecues, or set up camp

The National Trust said the narrow road in Wasdale Valley was also becoming more "rammed with illegally parked cars", which slowed down access for emergency vehicles.

It said it was installing boulders to deter parking and introducing a free shuttle bus in the summer to try and reduce traffic.

Mr Manduell, who runs a Herdwick sheep farm and campsite, said: "Most visitors behave well and enjoy this wonderful place, but a minority do not.

"The sheer number of cars can be a real problem at times.

"But the fly camping, lighting of fires, dumping of rubbish and going to the toilet on the common, the churchyard and even in the church is disgusting behaviour."

Boulders are to be installed and restrictions introduced to stop illegal parking which is blocking roads

Neil Thirkell, lead ranger at the National Trust, said: “These measures are needed to prevent damage to some really quite delicate and important areas and we have to remember this is a working landscape."

Lindsay Buck, who is known as the Wasdale Womble, because she picks up litter in a bid to keep the valley clean, said many visitors were not aware there were not always bins and toilets in beauty spots.

"They are not aware that they have to be responsible for the waste they produce," Ms Buck said.

She also called for disposable barbecue sets to be banned, as many were being abandoned.