From the Telegraph today. An extract from an article on wild camping and action to control it.
Trevor Beattie, chief executive of the South Downs National Park Authority, said he would encourage camping, but only at official campsites.
Rangers have noticed a “sharp increase” in illegal wild camping during the pandemic at historic sites, including Bronze Age barrows, he said.
“There is nothing better than camping out under the stars and, of course, we would encourage people to do that,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“But we have a problem with influencers on Instagram posting pictures of their wild camps, and telling people to follow.
“I would like these people to make clear that they have either asked for permission – or are camping illegally.”
Mr Beattie said that many wild campers resented being “tarred with the same brush” as those who light fires and leave a mess.
“Some people complain that they arrive late, leave early, and leave no trace,” he said. “That may well be, but to those people I would say, ‘You are still committing an offence’. It’s pretty much impossible to draw a line between those who camp responsibly and those who don’t.”