A hard line clampdown on fishing in Arbroath’s Keptie Pond has come into force.
Police say one man has already been charged with illegal angling at the beauty spot.
And on Friday, signs were being erected in the latest stage in the battle against the problem.
Last summer, Angus Council hit out at unlawful fishers after a duckling was discovered with a hook in its mouth.
But its plea for a “small minority” to stop fishing there has been ignored.
One regular says he has seen dozens of anglers there on occasion.
Keptie Pond fishing ban divides opinion
The tough line has prompted a huge debate on local social media.
Many back the clampdown.
But others say it is a waste of police time which will bring little deterrent.
The council said: “The signs will state it is an offence to fish in the Keptie Pond Conservation Area without written permission.
“And to be absolutely clear, Angus Council will not give permission to anyone due to the danger that fishing at Keptie Pond presents to wildlife.
“Police Scotland has and will continue to take action.”
It warns that equipment will be seized and anglers reported for prosecution.
Keptie regular Neil Cargill welcomed the tough approach.
The keen photographer snapped a heron with fishing line tangled on its beak earlier in the year and around its nest.
“It’s the breeding season so it has come at the right time,” he said.
“Last year it got completely out of hand. There could be between 30 and 40 there at a time.
“The less they leave behind, they just cause havoc.
“They clog up the paths and if folk say anything they just get abuse. I know people who used to like the pond but have stopped going there because of it.”
The management of Keptie Pond has been a hot topic for a number of years.
A Friends group spent years trying to establish the area as a wildlife haven.
But in 2023 they threw in the towel in protest over a council decision to allow local Scouts to kayak on the one-time boating pond.
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