A LITTER-PICKING event has turned up 32 bags of rubbish left behind in Calais Wood.

Members of the Calais Wood Womblers group joined forces with members of the public, and McDonald's staff, to scour the area for waste.

A total of 29 volunteers took part in the activity on June 12, which organiser Jude Rae says made a "fantastic" difference.

"There are a lot of kids who come through the area," she explained, "there are eight den sites in the woods which are known about and a lot of the time they are badly littered.

"They also often set fires which are very dangerous."

She explained that even small fires could continue to smoulder for hours after being extinguished as the peat underneath the earth continues to burn.

Campaigners have been advised to call emergency services if they discover one, and Jude says this is creating extra work for already-stretched firefighters.

"The kids don't understand," she continued, "we went around four of the sites and filled our bags with bottles and broken items.

"The seven McDonald's staff members were really up for the challenge and were concerned when they discovered it was a lot of their rubbish."

It took the litter-pickers almost two hours to clear the sites and empty the rubbish into nearby Fife Council bins.

The nature conservationists have already been leaving empty bin bags at spots throughout the area, which Jude says are "very well-used" and have made a "huge difference".

Now, she says the woods are in good shape, and that all the group is asking is that those using the pathways are responsible and dispose of their litter appropriately.

With work on the adjacent Dunfermline Learning Campus under way, the group has also raised concerns about the impact of added footfall on the area.

Jude says there is a possibility that planned walkways would allow for extra bins, though worried that these may also encourage youngsters to venture into the area more.