MOUNDS of rubbish left behind at Prestonhill Quarry can be tidied up but "you can't bring someone back if they are killed".

That's according to Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor David Barratt, who has been discussing the issue of dangerous 'tombstoning' with police after as many as 200 people were said to have been spotted near the water on Monday.

"With the good weather brings increased activity," he told the Press.

"There is not a lot we can do with the landownership except education and increased presence.

"The police will be there making people aware of the dangers."

One dog-walker, who did not want to be named, said that he witnessed more than 150 people enjoying the sunshine at the quarry on Monday evening, with "40 or 50" cars parked nearby.

On top of this, on Tuesday morning, he discovered water polluted with litter, as well as leftover beer cans, and even underwear discarded at the site.

"It has been building over the summer, it started with 20 or 30 of them, people living in the town must have a terrible time with it," he said.

"We were all teenagers once but some are swimming and 'tombstoning', that is my main worry, at the end of the day they could be losing their lives.

"The divers who use the area were all gutted at the state of the water, there were inflatables, and even a couch which had been pushed out, some folk fly-tip there as well, I binned some of it, there was still a fire smouldering too."

In recent years, three deaths have occurred at the quarry, all in separate drowning tragedies.

Earlier this year, police officers confirmed that they would be stepping up patrols in the area following reports of anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Barratt said that cleaning up the rubbish would be a "community effort", which will see him calling on litter-picking groups, due to ownership of the land currently in limbo.

This follows delays surrounding development plans which would see the removal of the deep water pond on the quarry floor which would be filled in and also the cliff face which would be replaced with a more gradual sloped bank.

In February, the Press reported that surveys conducted by Inverkeithing Community Council indicated that 81 per cent were against the move.