Last week end , a group of lads drunk and high on drugs had to be rescued from Scafell Pike.

The weekend before, a huge group of people took off into the fells without any considerati on for how long they would be out for or how they would manage to get back.

Their leader left them on the hill because he was hungry. When they failed to return on time, he called the mergency services and mountain rescue teams went out to retrive the group of more than 70 people.

The rescuers had to leave their families and special events to carry out their duties.

The man who raised the alarm meanwhile, was discovered tucking into a pub meal.

Quite rightly, our mountain rescue team leaders weren't happy.

Meanwhile, som idiot thought it would be a good idea to kayak to the Isle of Man and capsized before he'd hardly got anywhere.

That sparked a three hour search involving a helicopter from Scotland, six lifeboats from Cumbria and the Isleof Man and two coastguard teams.

He had no radio or flares to alert emergency services, the walkers were without maps and compasses.

Last weekend, the Wasdale Mountain Rescue team was called out five times in 12 hours - with four of the incidents being "totally avoidable".

It is time we fined idiots like these on the fells or on the water for reckless endangerment.

They are endangering not only their own lives, but those of the people who come out to save their sorry backsides.

A mayor in an area of the French Alps close to Mont Blanc is introducing fines for climbers attempting to scale the mountain without proper outdoor gear.

This follows a spate of rescues and deaths in the region of climber who set out ill-prepared and lacking equipment.

The rescuers say they don't want to impose fines or any form of insurance policy on people because it would put them off from getting out and enjoying the countryside or the water.

They would stay at home.

Good. If they're not prepared to act properly or with respect for the fells, the consditions and for the people who might bwe called out to save them they don't deserfve to enjoy the countryside and its challenges.

The other side of the coin is that if people are threaten e d with a fine if they get into trouble through a lack of planning or incomeptence, they are more likely to plough on in the hope of gwetting to safety under their own steam and could land themselves in further trouble or endangerment.

That too is perfectly possible, given the lack of brain cells some people have shown in recent weeks.

But it just seems wrong that they can walk away carefree and without so much as rattling a collection can with a donation.

If they are procesucted, any fine could go straight to the service that helped rescue them, as well as to the upkeep of the fells.

We should all be able to enjoy the fells or go for a paddle on the sea. But we should all be fully aware of where we're going, what dangers we face and the dangfers we put others into by our own stupidity.