Campers leaving duvets, cans, tents and rubbish in mountains

The remains of burnt duvets, cans, bottles and rubbish have been left in the scenic areas of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains by some visitors after the good weather.

Barbecues, nappies, even a child’s potty were among the detritus left by day-trippers, others walked away leaving tents, bags of rubbish, cans, bottles and the remains of campfires.

Recent incidents of campers leaving their rubbish in the Glenmalure Valley prompted the local community to remind visitors of the importance of the natural heritage of the valley. The Glenmalure Pure (Protecting Uplands and Rural Environments) Mile group said it had recently removed a number of abandoned tents, bottles, cans, barbecues, meat wrappers and nappies.

The group said most visitors removed their rubbish and respected the ecological and heritage value of the area they came to enjoy, “but a small number are spoiling it for everyone”.

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Ian Davis, project manager with the Pure project said “extremely hard work” was being put into keeping the Glenmalure valley clean and pristine, “the way it should be”.

“Our very first clean-up in 2015 resulted in the removal of over six tonnes of illegal dumping from the valley. Things have improved dramatically, but it is disappointing and frustrating that a minority of visitors to the area are undermining all of this hard work.”

‘Our bit for Wicklow’

Pure said its Clean-up the Uplands Campaign, in which businesses and groups adopt an upland area, had resulted in tremendous work.

Mr Davis said at a recent clean-up of the Lackan Sorrel Road in west Wicklow, by the Blessington-based Reservoir Cogs Cycling Club, volunteers spent their Saturday litter-picking the entire road, removing a large number of bags of rubbish, including a vacuum cleaner, paint pots, electric cable and chipboard.

Vagabond Tours has adopted the valley floor at Knockree in the Glencree Valley, a popular camping destination, which is also prone to littering.

Vagabond Tours hoped to “do our bit for Wicklow” and said the Pure project was “a perfect fit”.

“Hopefully it’s not just a coincidence, but it would appear that a clean mile attracts less littering than a littered one,” said a spokesman.

One woman who collects litter at the Sugarloaf mountain car park said the area “looked like a car crash” after recent bank holiday weekends and she appealed to people to “realise they are destroying what they enjoy by littering”.

To report illegal dumping call 1850 365 121