Police 'working to identify' lake damage suspects

Police investigating after wild campers felled trees and left conservation chiefs with a clean-up bill approaching £1,000 say they are working to identify suspects allegedly shown in social media posts.

A group discarded camping equipment, mattresses and clothing on the shores of Buttermere in the Lake District, while an axe and evidence of fires were also found.

A park ranger discovered the damage on 2 July and the National Trust forwarded several online images and videos it had been sent to police officers.

Potential offences include criminal damage, as well as heritage crime as the Lake District is a designated Unesco World Heritage Site.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Police said the force was "conducting inquiries to identify suspects".

At the time, the National Trust said such behaviour had become "far too common".

It urged visitors to follow the Countryside Code, which encourages people not to light fires or barbecues and to "leave no trace" by clearing up after themselves.

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