An Ely beauty spot and wildlife haven has been tarnished by mounds of rubbish left behind by people sleeping rough, according to walkers.

Ely Standard: Some of the mess left behind at Roswell Pits, in Ely.Pictures: Clinton Edwards.Some of the mess left behind at Roswell Pits, in Ely.Pictures: Clinton Edwards. (Image: Archant)

An encampment of tents around Ely’s Roswell Pits has been likened to an area known as ‘The Jungle’ in Calais, where people sleep in the woods before attempting to cross the Channel and gain access to Britain.

Clinton Edwards, from Ely, was walking around the pits, parts of which are a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest, on Saturday and came across mounds of discarded clothes and rubbish left behind by an abandoned camp.

Mr Edwards, a keen photographer, took pictures of the mounds of rubbish, which he says are a “real concern”.

Mr Edwards said: “There is clear evidence that a group of people have been using the area for shelter. The area is littered with rubbish and their abandoned tent still lies among the mess they have left behind.

“While I was walking in the area I was approached by a couple speaking in a foreign accent asking me where the tents were as they had come to meet some friends.

“The discarded rubbish is a real concern due to the environmental risks it poses. The area is adjacent to a public footpath which is used by local dog walkers and ramblers.”

East Cambridgeshire District Council said its environmental health team had not been contacted about the rubbish but said it would look into the incident if it was contacted and the rubbish was found to be on land over which it has responsibility.

Cambridgeshire police said officers would be investigating.