A much loved beauty spot in Hythe was left 'trashed' by a group who reportedly abandoned their campsite after spending the night.

An assortment of rubbish - including two tents - was left at West Hythe dam, off west Hythe Road and near the Royal Military Canal, which is a popular area for dog walkers and families.

Items left at the site included glass bottles and cans, food containers, straws, two tents, a hat, a hammer and disposable BBQs.

Pictures of the messy open space were taken by resident Malcolm James and shared to the Hythe Residents Group, along with the comment: "This is West Hythe dam, it was a beautiful place until some moronic scum left it like a tip.

"They need to be found and made to clean it up.

"There are beer bottles and cans thrown in the sluice and canal.

"Once they have cleaned it, fine them, so they don't do it again."

The abandoned campsite was also spotted by Eric Brown, a member of the Romney Marsh Litter Picking Watch.

Mr Brown said he spoke to a group of four campers who assured him they would clear up the litter before leaving.

But when he returned to the site and saw the mess was still there, he decided to take action himself.

Mr Brown said: "The place was trashed; glass bottles scattered in the field and canal along with food containers, drinking straws etc.

"Not the usual camper who would have put all their trash in a black bag as they went along.

"I returned to West Hythe and cleared it all up."

The littering was reported to Folkestone and Hythe District Council.

A spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that this was reported to us late afternoon on Wednesday, May 29 and had been dealt with by midday on Thursday, May 30."

But the rubbish left at the beauty spot was not the only act of littering in Hythe.

In the same week a dirty nappy and the remnants of a fish and chips take away were found dumped on a scenic country lane.

It is thought the items were thrown from a car window in Botolph’s Bridge Road, rather than kept and thrown away in the nearest available bin.

It was spotted by Mr Brown, who said: "I picked up a soiled nappy among the remains of a family fish and chip supper.

"Great example from these parents.

"It begs the question 'why didn’t you put it all in the carrier bag that you tossed out of your car window along with everything else and put it in a bin?

"Things have got to change as this earth is constantly being abused.

"'It’s only one drinks can', said one billion people."

Mr Brown came across the litter while on a dog walk but also found discarded ply wood and more fast food wrappings in the same area, which he also collected.

He said sharing images online of the mess people leave on the streets will only help the fight.

He said: "For me this will add to the awareness and hopefully inspire others to join us in our war against such morons that find it acceptable to toss their unwanted rubbish in the countryside."

To report fly-tipping in the Folkestone and Hythe district, visit here.

Read more: All the latest news from Hythe