A popular beauty spot on the Llangattock Escarpment was blighted recently after “selfish abusers of the countryside” left the area strewn with litter following a weekend of wild camping.

Chris Jones, a volunteer with Llangattock Litter Pickers (LLP) of around five years, saw the mess first-hand when he visited the site in early August.

“I was told a week earlier that one person was camping in the area concerned,” Chris recalled.

“The numbers then increased and they must have been there a week before I went to investigate during a litter picking session and found the mess left behind.

“I then arranged for volunteers from the LLP to go and clear it up two days later. When we arrived we found that a local farmer had collected the majority of the mess on their trailer and was arranging for it to be disposed of at their own expense by a local waste company.”

Chris and a fellow volunteer then spent about 90 minutes cleaning the smaller items including bags and food waste that had been tossed into the surrounding bracken.

“Wild camping is fairly common on the Llangattock Escarpment area of the National Park, though camper vans are more usual than tents,” Chris explained.

“Dumping of camping equipment as in the latest occurrence is uncommon, but bags of food waste, cans, and bottles are left behind weekly in the summer months.

“Most responsible campers take their waste with them, but a few spoil it for others with their selfish behaviour. It’s hard to understand how anyone can enjoy the beauty of the National Park and then despoil it for others by selfishly leaving their unwanted waste behind.”

A spokesperson from Bannau Brycheiniog National Park said: “‘Wild camping’ is not permitted anywhere within Bannau Brycheiniog National Park without landowners’ permission.

“Our Visitor Centre in Libanus has curated a list of landowners who allow camping on land which is not a campsite. Local established campsites can be found on our website – breconbeacons.org/camping.”

Chris went on to point out that this behaviour isn't limited to visitors; with waste from takeaway food vendors thrown from cars being the most common form of litter encountered in the National Park.