THE chief executive of Luss Estates has called on opponents of new camping by-laws to help clean up the national park after announcing his ‘disgust’ at record levels of rubbish left by wild campers.

Simon Miller, who backs by-laws against wild camping recently approved by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, said: “I am disgusted and dismayed at the appalling amount of litter left by people wild camping.

“Each month we spend a morning picking up rubbish and last year we collected over 350 bags of litter plus many larger items.

“We collect tents, bottles of alcohol, underwear, used condoms, clothing and where it is safe to do so, we remove human waste. It’s worse now problem than ever.” Mr Miller has called on broadcaster Cameron McNeish and Jess Dolan from Ramblers Scotland – who oppose the new by-laws – to help clear up the park so they can see the extent of the problem.

Helen Todd, campaigns and policy manager of Ramblers Scotland, said: “We’re very sympathetic to the litter problem that have been experienced by Luss but they’re not the only park in Scotland who have problems with littering.

“If people are leaving litter they’re not being responsible.” The Advertiser tried to get in touch with Cameron McNeish but he declined to comment.

The board of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park authority approved plans for four camping management by-law zones on the busiest loch shores on April 27, following the extensive Your Park consultation early this year.

Recommendations which were approved included the creation of the by-laws and an investment in improved camping facilities, which would include 300 camping places made up of a mixture of camping permits and low cost campsites.

Linda Mackay, convener of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority Board, said the board had been unanimous in its decision.

She added: “The consultation showed tremendous support for the proposals at both a local and national level including from all our community councils and constituent local authorities, as well as national agencies concerned for the protection of the national park’s sensitive environment.” The proposals will now go to Scottish Government ministers for a final decision.

Ian McEachern, chairman of Luss Community Council said he welcomed the new by-laws, which aim to tackle the ongoing litter and anti-social behavioural problems in Luss.

He said: “There is forever a litter problem in Luss.

“There were three groups of campers less than 400 yards from my house and there was a tent left on the ground and bottles and glass and out of the three groups only one cleaned up after themselves.

“Without a by-law to manage camping, police are only able to act after anti-social behaviour occurs and they are limited in what they can arrest for.” Luss and Arden Community Council conducted a survey of all residents in the area as part of the Your Park consultation, which showed that, out of the 110 written responses, 95 per cent of people supported the by-law proposals.

Lomond North councillor George Freeman is a member of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Board and was part of the unanimous decision to approve the proposals.

He said: “Most people would hope that those visiting the national park would be more respectful of the area and would take their litter home or dispose of it responsibly but unfortunately this is not the case.

“It is only through ongoing education that we would hope to educate those responsible for the problems that they are creating and the costs that are incurred in trying to clear up the mess that many people behind them”.