sloppy campers.

Youth and Sports Minister Dennis Lister last week introduced a new camping deposit and tagging system to cut down on illegal campers and discarded equipment.

And yesterday Parks Officer Craig Burt said the move was made necessary by "a new group of people (last year) who camped for the first time and spoiled it for everyone''.

One such example of unscrupulous campers was seen yesterday when Parks officials removed illegal campers from Higgins and Horseshoe Islands in St.

George's Harbour.

Marine and Ports officials were on hand to ship a boatload of confiscated equipment and trash off the islands.

Mr. Burt admitted the Department knew who some of the offenders were, but said the Department avoided taking punitive action whenever possible.

And Police were only involved when situations erupted beyond the control of Park Rangers.

For example, Mr. Burt said squatters sometimes became "territorial'' about their temporary homes and could become violent when confronted by authorities.

But even when moved from their sites, they remained a chronic problem.

"At the end of the season we found there were quite a few people who were homeless,'' said Mr. Burt. "If you move them out of one site, they just gravitate to another.'' However, the new regulations do give Park Rangers greater powers of control and force persons who have had their equipment confiscated to pay a fine for its return.

In the past, rangers have discovered barbecues, lawn furniture and even stereo systems which have been left behind.

Each year three full time rangers monitor roughly 900 acres of land around summer students.

There are usually some 700 to 800 registered campers each year. During particularly busy seasons the number has risen to 1,200.

But monitoring activity on small islands such as Higgins and Horseshoe remains difficult because the Parks Department does not have a boat of its own.

Instead the rangers have to rely on other departments for marine transportation or work with private individuals to learn of unauthorised camp sites.