Walton anglers say youngsters celebrating their newly-regained freedom, are causing major environmental problems for the River Cart.

Trees have been cut down as make-shift firewood by the party-goers at the beauty spot below the ford at Eaglesham.

The club has fishing rights on that stretch and members tend and tidy it by carrying out clean ups.

Amid charred remains of camp fires anglers have turned up old textbooks, school timetables and even torched exam papers.

Half a dozen volunteers from the angling club filled eight black bags with the debris, plus empty cans, bottles and wrappers in an evening blitz on the banks last week.

Club president John Kimble said: "We play an active role as custodians of the river and surrounding countryside. We plant trees, look after the river and create habitats for fish, birds and insects.

"However, this work is being undermined by a minority leaving behind its rubbish from late-night parties.

"Going fishing and finding trees chopped down and large areas of the riverbank covered in cans, bottles and plastic bags is enough to make the heart of even the hardiest of anglers plummet.

"We are not against people, young or old, enjoying our river but we ask that they be responsible, do not smash glass, do not cut down living trees for a fire, and pick up their rubbish and take it away when finished".

Pointing out that last week's clean-up took volunteers an entire evening to complete, Mr Kimble also thanked East Renfrewshire council for collecting the eight bags of rubbish the club's volunteers left by the ford.