A PLEA has been made to reduce anti-social behaviour at a Borders beauty spot.
Scottish Water has issued a notice asking people to stop littering, leaving fires unattended, cutting down trees and discarding human waste at Megget Reservoir, near Selkirk.
The Borders site was one of six hotspots named in the report, which was released on Friday (August 14).
Donna Mills, land strategy team leader at Scottish Water, said: “We are urging those people who have behaved in an anti-social way at any of our reservoirs to think about their actions and the impact they are having on the environment and local residents and to stop this behaviour immediately.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the amenities around the reservoirs and to do so in a responsible way.”
Scottish Water published a list of the worst instances of behaviour spotted so far, which included abandoned campfires which were still alight dangerously close to woodland, hacked down trees and other vegetation and litter, including food wrappings, barbecue and camping equipment, and chairs, scattered across a wide area.
In some cases, human waste had been discarded along the shorelines, while parked vehicles were left inconsiderately on nearby roads and verges.
Ms Mills added: “Nobody wants to encounter other people’s waste and nobody wants to see fires left unattended or not properly extinguished, with the obvious risk of fires spreading especially during dry weather.
“Scottish Water has a small team of reservoir rangers who patrol the reservoirs to help visitors enjoy them and protect the natural habitat and they urge the public to take away all their belongings and litter and leave no trace of their visit.
“But our rangers can’t be everywhere all the time and we really need visitors to hear our call and think carefully about their behaviour and how it impacts the environment and other people.”
Share