FLY tipping, dangerous fires and animals being attacked by dogs are all incidents dealt with by the Malvern Hills Trust this year.

Warden teams from the trust had to tackle more than 30 incidents of caravans parking overnight on Trust land, 37 barbecues and fires and 38 incidents of fly-tipping in the period of 2020/21.

This is according to the most recent MHT annual report, which is available online.

Also spotted by the wardens were 14 incidents of vandalism, graffiti and damage to benches and 18 reports of sheep being injured by dogs.

Of these attacks, there were six reported sheep injuries and three deaths.

The Trust report said: "With over 3,000 acres to patrol the wardens’ job is never a dull one.

"Such high volumes of visitors brought with it increased pressures on the Trust staff and resources – from managing the extensive littering problems and vehicles parking outside the designated car parks, dealing with BBQ’s and fires during a dry summer period with particularly high fire risk, camping and many other bylaw issues.

"The patterns of visitor use also changed, with many people looking for quieter or less frequented spots away from the popular access sites.

"This in turn necessitated a change in demand on staff to undertake increased numbers of patrols and access management works."

Daily tasks for wardens can include litter picking and emptying bins, clearing fly-tipping, clearing paths, repairing signs, checking car parks and advising the public.

Other jobs include enforcing byelaws, dealing with illegal camping, clearing fires and BBQs, liaising with utility companies and local residents, to name but a few.

The three wardens employed by the Trust are supported by a team of volunteer reporting wardens dotted around the Hills keeping an eye on their patch.

This involves regularly patrolling an area, litter picking and reporting any issues.

Along with our regular volunteer wardens this forms a large part of the trust's work on the hills.

In response to increased visitor numbers and pressures over the last 12 months, recruitment took place during the time of this Review for a fourth warden position.