The National Trust needs to do more to protect its Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Pendine from illegal campers.

Despite a locked barrier and a traffic ban, a number of caravans spent Easter weekend at Morfa Bychan.

“It was very sad to see a large number of people setting up camp at the cove, rubbish was left behind, excrement left in the bushes and a quad bike driven over the fragile ecosystem,” said Simon Hart MP.

Mr Hart has been working with a number of different organisations to try to solve the problem of fly camping and rubbish at the beauty spot.   The illegal campsite is owned by the National Trust, but a lane down to the beach is classified by Carmarthenshire County Council as a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) which Welsh Water uses daily.

“I appreciate that the National Trust and Carmarthenshire County Council have taken some steps to try to prevent this from happening but it’s had very little effect so far,” added Mr Hart.

“There is a couple of National Trust Coastodians who have been litter picking and monitoring the site for months and have done a wonderful job, it must be heartbreaking for them to see the site abused like this.

“I appreciate that the National Trust does not have bottomless pockets but it owns this special site and has a duty of care to protect it.

“Perhaps they could look at installing a lot more boulders to make access difficult for campers.  Or even motion sensitive cameras to capture those who are damaging their gates?”