COUNCIL bosses are pleading with sun seekers not to leave rubbish behind at one natural beauty spot.

Council officers were made aware of an increase of littering and fly tipping in the area around Loch Doon during a recent visit.

Now East Ayrshire Council's Corporate Enforcement Unit (CEU) have vowed to patrol Loch Doon and anyone found to be littering or fly tipping will be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.

With a mini heatwave forecast this week the CEU will be looking to punish people guilty of leaving a mess behind.

Back in 2009, the CEU joined forces with the Loch Doon Ranger and Police Scotland to tackle antisocial behaviour and environmental crime, which had been on the rise.

Joint patrols take place regularly throughout the year on the loch roads, trails, cycle paths, beaches, camp sites and other recreational areas.

A zero tolerance approach is taken to all environmental crime including littering, dog fouling and fly tipping.

This year alone the CEU has issued two £200 fly tipping penalties and has spoken to hundreds of visitors about the importance of preserving the loch’s beauty.

Councillor Tom Cook, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Equalities said: “Loch Doon is a popular destination for camping, fishing, cycling and for people who love the outdoors.

“The area also boasts Ospreys and visitors travel from far and wide to view them in their natural habitat. Live video streams of the birds are now shown within the Roundhouse Cafe and this is also very popular with visitors.

“With so much to enjoy, it is essential that we work to protect the natural beauty of Loch Doon. The partnership between the CEU, the Loch Doon Ranger and Police Scotland has proved to be very successful. Complaints about fly tipping have declined and environmental crime in general has also shown a marked decline.

“Visitors welcome our presence and our attempts to keep Loch Doon at its beautiful best. By everyone working together we can end environmental crime.”