JAMES Fraser (Letters, February 2) is right to identify "party campers" as a problem and also that a package of measures was needed to address this issue on east Loch Lomond. These measures included investment in a new campsite at Sallochy, control of parking, alcohol by-laws and, most importantly, effective policing. The by-laws were only a small part of this and were promoted by the park authority as a temporary measure. It is quite clear now that the package of measures would have worked without any need for the by-laws whose main impact has been to prevent responsible camping under access rights.

My partner works at a school in a deprived area of Glasgow and the few times that the children get to go in the great outdoors is when their parents or grandparents take them away on a camping trip. For many this is their first experience of wild nature, usually by a loch shore. As Dave Morris said (Letters, February 2) camping bans simply discriminate against people who are restricted by age, mobility or disability. I supported the creation of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park because the area is so important to the people of the Clyde conurbation and because it is intended as a national park for everyone, not just local residents.

Perhaps the rapidly growing public petition to the Minister to be found at change.org will persuade the Environment Minister, Aileen McLeod, that the only thing her by-laws will achieve is criminalisation of responsible campers. The petition was started by Willie McLeod, a respected outdoor recreationist and educationist, who has long worked to help disadvantaged communities in the west of Scotland get into the great outdoors. This is certain to become a touchstone issues for the next Scottish Parliament and already, lots of people are indicating that how they vote in the forthcoming elections will be determined by whether or not candidates will support our access rights and commit to repealing these by-laws.

Nick Kempe,

23 Queen Square, Glasgow.