Rangers on North York Moors issue litter warning
The warm weather means more people are heading out for a picnic
Rangers on the North Yorkshire Moors are pleading with the public to take home their litter.
The hot weather means more people will be heading out to have a picnic.
Malcom Hodgson is the National Trails officer: "No one wants to see litter anywhere, it can have an impact on wildlife as well, badly discarded litter, wildlife can get caught up in and and die as a result of it, and it can be really nasty for them."
"We really need to look after our landscape and take some pride in it, so there is no need to drop litter, take it home with you, that is our message."
"It's an important message for us, sometimes people don't just understand the impact of litter, not just visually but more widely on wildlife and everything else."
Meanwhile a fire alert remains in place because of the hot, dry weather.
Malcom Hodgson says: “While the term ‘wildfire’ might lead people to think that these events are natural or spontaneous, it’s the actions of people that pose the greatest risks.
“Prolonged dry weather creates the right environment for fire to spread quickly and out of control, but the initial spark is nearly always due to human behaviour.
“Wildfires are a complete disaster for our very special habitats. It is devastating to see the damage they cause. Peatland fires are also extremely difficult to extinguish and release significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.”
People visiting the North York Moors are asked to be vigilant to the risks. Under no circumstance should anyone be using barbeques or lighting campfires, and great care should be taken when disposing of items such as cigarettes or glass bottles. This includes throwing cigarette ends out of car windows, which can lead to roadside fires that spread into sensitive landscapes."
If people see a fire, they should report it quickly to the fire service by dialling 999.