Staycation litter bugs are trashing our coastline and holding up conservation work, it's been warned.
The National Trust said a spike in fly camping and caravans - and the "vast quantities" of rubbish left behind - are taking up a fifth of rangers time, and putting wildlife at risk.
They said daily patrols have turned into litter picks at popular beauty spots like Mourne Mountains, Murlough Nature Reserve and parts of the Causeway Coast.
And there's also been a jump in campers setting up without permission.
Mourne Ranger Clare O’Reilly said: "We have seen a notable increase in this behaviour at our sites in the Mournes - both at Bloody Bridge and Slieve Donard, and in various parts of Murlough Nature Reserve, including the main boardwalk.
"The rubbish left behind is usually substantial. We routinely clear up to four full bin liners from each camp, and deal with the aftermath of damaged habitats from fires, broken glass and disposable BBQs.
"Some of this litter can be buried into the 6,000-year-old sand dunes, which then slowly release shards of glass and sharpened metal, creating a serious hazard risk for children, adults, dogs, and our wildlife."
Rangers have also been verbally attacked for asking campers to move on - and many campers are parking illegally overnight, the Trust's head of rangers, Rob Rhodes, said.
He said it's delaying work that was put on hold in lockdown.
Rob Rhodes added: "Due to lockdown we haven’t been able to get on with conservation work and many of our rangers who have returned to their posts over the past few weeks are champing at the bit to get on and start to clear the backlog.
"This unsociable behaviour by some is taking up so much time that it’s affecting not only the upkeep of our sites, but taking our staff away from vital conservation work and engaging with visitors. Leaving debris and litter behind can cause issues for wildlife such as injuring animals and destroying habitats."
Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation and Restoration, said they were seeing a "disposable festival mentality" - where campers leave behind their gear as well as trash.
He added: "Some campers are also lighting campfires which can cause big problems, especially with the land still being very dry despite recent rainfall. Campfires should not be lit at any of our countryside or coastal locations.
"Fires can easily get out of control and this could have a massive impact on wildlife and landscapes.
"We know one of the few positives of lockdown has been the rise in visitors enjoying the outdoors, nature and the countryside.
"And while we want to do all we can to encourage more people to spend time in nature, we all have a responsibility to leave places as we found them – for other people but also for the sake of nature itself. We want to remind people to follow the countryside code and that they should only camp overnight with a landowner’s permission."
