SCOTTISH Borders Council stands accused of failing to control its picnic area at a well-known Borders beauty spot and forcing an historic hotel out of business.

Alistair Moody, whose family bought Tibbie Shiels Inn and its licensed campsite at St Mary’s Loch eight years ago, claims to have had “another nightmare season” at the hands of antisocial campers on nearby Oxcleuch Haugh.

And last weekend, he made the decision to shut the hotel, which employs 10 seasonal staff, with immediate effect.

“I’ve closed the bar and kitchen permanently and I am now advertising our ensuite rooms as holiday lets,” he told the Border Telegraph.

“I have pre-bookings for our campsite, in which we have also invested heavily, up until the New Year, but it too will close after that.”

Managed by SBC’s Ranger Service under an agreement with Wemyss and March Estates and just 100 yards from the hotel on the eastern shore of the Loch of the Lowes, Oxcleuch Haugh – known locally as the Café Green and with public toilets maintained by the council - is clearly marked with “No Overnight Vehicular Parking” signs.

But according to Mr Moody, that ban is regularly flouted with campers taking their vehicles onto the haugh and making life a misery for his staff and guests.

“The problems go back to 2009 when I started reporting incidents of drug and alcohol-fuelled disturbances to the council and the police,” said Mr Moody.

“Things have escalated since then and last year was particularly bad. You only had to read some of our reviews to realise that drunken all-night parties were completely spoiling the calm, peace and security of our business and the tourism experience of so many people.”

Keen that the council should re-schedule its daily toilet-cleaning visits to the site for the evening in order to enforce the parking ban, Mr Moody said he had attended a meeting at Newtown with “several council departments” on May 1 this year.

“It was agreed then that the council would look into installing CCTV, erecting better signage and raising the verges to stop parking, but since then, nothing has happened and matters have got worse,” said Mr Moody.

He claimed revellers from the haugh regularly brought their own alcohol into his hotel.

“This has left me no choice but to confront them and this has led to no fewer than three incidents of violence against me and threats against my staff since the May meeting.

“There have been further incidents of revellers from the green coming onto my campsite through the night and frightening campers, leading to further violent confrontations for me personally.

“And more recently other members of the community say there have even been instances of firearms being discharged during all-night parties on the haugh. Surely, enough is enough.”

A spokesperson for SBC told us: “Oxcleuch Haugh is a popular site used by the public for picknicking and, under the Land Reform Act, the public have a right to camp responsibly here and in the wider countryside.

“There are signs saying no overnight vehicular parking, but this can be difficult to manage.

“The meeting in May was also attended by Wemyss and March Estates along with members of the local community and it was agreed SBC would investigate installing CCTV and notices.

“However, since then, the council has received legal advice that it should not install cameras on land it does not own, although it could still be introduced in partnership with the estate.

“There was no agreement at the meeting to raise verges to stop people camping, although there were discussions about raising the verge at a bend on the road to discourage parking for safety reasons.

“The Anti Social Behaviour Unit within the Scottish Borders Safer Communities Team has received no formal complaints about antisocial behaviour and the team says local police have not raised concerns about this area.”

Mr Moody is incredulous, describing the council’s response yesterday as “arrogant and contemptuous”.

“Citing the Land Reform Act is a joke when the council knows full well it can prohibit parking on a designated picnic area, that campers are accessing the site by car and not by foot, horse or bicycle and when their behaviour is anything but responsible.”

End