Last updated at 13:08, Thursday, 28 June 2012

BANK holiday revellers blighted a beauty spot with enough rubbish to fill more than a dozen bags.

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TYRING WORK: Sandscale Haws ranger Neil Forbes is backing the Big Clean. Neil is seen here with ranger Jo Day, cleaning rubbish from Roanhead beach. MILTON HAWORTH REF: 50034593B004

Last week the Evening Mail carried out a walk along the beach and found it strewn with discarded food packaging and dog faeces.

Despite the irresponsible attitude of some visitors, Neil Forbes, a ranger at the Sandscale Haws nature reserve, said strangers often offered their help in cleaning up the beach.

Mr Forbes said: “The beach was bad over the weekend but not as bad as some of the weekends we have.

“My colleague spent a day cleaning up, she collected about 13 bin bags full of rubbish and that was after being cleaned on Monday.

“We tend to get three or four really bad weekends in the year.

“It’s a mix of people having picnics and the more serious problems tend to be from parties in the evening.”

Mr Forbes backed the Evening Mail’s Big Clean campaign and called for visitors to the beach and nature reserve to think about their actions.

He said: “This time of year we try and keep on top of the problem.

“The car park (in Roanhead) tends to be affected the worst.

“When my colleague was cleaning the site, two families who were there actually came over and offered to help.

“There’s a real distinction between people coming down and leaving their rubbish and other people going above and beyond the call of duty.”

The Evening Mail’s Big Clean is returning for a second year from June 16 to 24 and has been backed by Barrow Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council, South Lakeland District Council and Centrica.

We want to hear where the grot spots are so we can help tackle them.

If you have an area you think needs to be cleaned up, or if your organisation wants to get involved, email will.metcalfe@cnmedia.co.uk with “Big Clean” in the subject or call 01229 840186.

First published at 13:14, Thursday, 07 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk