A Largs campaigner has hit out at litter louts who left a mess at a beauty spot in the town and has asked parents if they know about their children's whereabouts.

Robbie Stevenson is a member of Largs Community Council and helped set up the Love Largs anti-litter campaign which saw various posters go up around the town. He has also `involved Largs Academy, as well as local businesses in the town who showed their support.

However, Mr Stevenson was shocked to see that the woodland area at top of Bellesdale Avenue, within Halkshill Estate beside Gogo River, had been strewn with rubbish following a barbecue at the location.

Robbie said: "These are litter louts at a local beauty spot which is well used walk by adults, children and dogs 

"Youths took the time and effort to go shopping, carry all of their food and drink all the way up to woods at access to Gogo Valley, enjoyed a BBQ and then left without taking any of their empty, and much lighter, rubbish away with them.

"Rubbish included empty spirits bottles, alco-pop cans and bottles, empty aerosol cans and lots of empty food containers amounting to two large bags of rubbish just left behind for others to clean up.

"Did your son or daughter say they were going with friends for a BBQ on the evening of Monday, July 22 or Tuesday, July 23? Would they bring their friends to your garden and leave all of their rubbish lying behind with no attempt to clear it up?

"It is an absolute disgrace and they should be ashamed to have knowingly left such a mess. Next time youths appear perhaps the relevant authorities will be called to verify age of the youths, notify the parents and they can all come up and clear up the mess."

The Love Largs campaign was launched two years ago by a sub-group of Largs Community Council, headed by Mr Stevenson.

It saw emoji badges bought and distributed to every pupil at Largs Academy, bought with funding secured through North Ayrshire Council’s participatory budgeting programme.

Stickers and posters have been put up around the town to encourage people to use litter bins and thanking those who dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

Robbie said: "A lot of hard work has gone into our campaign.

"We want Largs to be a bright, happy and welcoming place for everyone. If anything, this incident simply strengthens our belief in how important the Love Largs campaign is, and how we must keep promoting it all over town."