ANYONE parking or camping overnight this summer at a Pembrokeshire beach made world famous by Harry Potter and Robin Hood could be hit with a fine.

Subject to planning permission, enforcement action is to be introduced at Freshwater West from mid-July in a bid to crack down on problems associated with illegal camping.

To deal with increasing visitors, camp fires in the dunes and traffic concerns due to the numbers of cars and camper vans parking along the narrow access route, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Pembrokeshire County Council, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the National Trust have been consulting over measures to make getting to and from the beach safer.

A National Trust spokesman, said: "Freshwater West is a special place and we recognise that more and more people are visiting and enjoying this stretch of coastline.

"Unfortunately, we have also seen an increase in overnight parking and camping at our National Trust car parks at Freshwater West, which is having a detrimental impact on the legally protected conservation area, due to discarded litter, tents, toilet waste and campfires.

"We have previously introduced signage, flyers and regular ranger patrols to inform visitors that overnight parking and camping are not permitted. Despite our efforts to raise awareness, our guidance is still not being followed.

"Subject to planning permission, we will be trialling an enforcement option at Freshwater West from mid-July for a 12-month period to ensure people don’t park or camp illegally overnight.

"We are committed to conserving this special place for the future. For any visitors wishing to stay in the area, we urge them to respect the environment and support local accommodation providers."

Marc Tierney, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire attended a consultation event in Castlemartin earlier this week.

He said: "From a tourism perspective, the success of Freshwater West is a real achievement for Pembrokeshire. But added visitor numbers without adequate infrastructure is causing difficulties for traffic and impacting on the local environment. Nearby residents attending the drop-in session raised concerns about camp-fires and camper vans parking overnight.

"In response, Pembrokeshire County Council and the National Trust will tighten up parking restrictions as a trial arrangement this summer, that means more double yellow lines along the road and other parking restrictions at the car parks with enforcement officers ready to hand out £100 fines to those caught flouting the new rules.

"I was pleased to hear that there will be continued consultation with visitors over the summer months, it is important we balance the needs of local residents with visitors and to ensure that we think creatively about protecting our environment whilst also supporting our economy."