The discovery of litter on a protected area of land near Wotton-under-Edge has been met with anger.
Rubbish has been found among the wildflowers on Coombe Hill, which lies within a designated Environmentally Sensitive Area.
Dog walkers found discarded lolly wrappers, believed to have been left by children who were seen and heard playing loudly on the hill.
The steep hill is a site of specific scientific interest due to the myriad of rare and precious flowers that grow there including limestone woundwort, oxeye daisy and bird's foot trefoil.
They attract a huge number of butterflies as well as enticing many wildflower enthusiasts and lepidopterists during the spring and summer.
The friendly black Welsh cows who normally graze there during the winter are banned in the late spring and summer, while the flowers bloom, to preserve the environment.
One Coombe resident said: "We want children to play on the hill, but they mustn’t damage the wildflowers.
"They are protected for good reason."
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