Haf a mile from my house in Oxfordshire, as I type, a bunch of f*ckwits are riding unlicensed trials bikes across an area of land that (i) is criss-crossed with public footpaths, and (ii) is a declared site of archaeological interest. They've been doing it every night for the last fortnight, and they do it regularly.
Various parties have called the police. Result? Nothing. No helicopters, no 4x4s, not even a pushbike. Last year the police came once, in response to a request from the landowner (a local industrial park) and ticked a few lads off - period. This is a place where lots of people walk their dogs or use the ROWs between villages and places of work. Accidents could happen.
So the idea that the long arm of the law is patrolling the Sarn with expensive resources is almost certainly a nonsense. Certainly if I found out that as a Welsh council tax payer (which I am proud to say I am) that some dickhead had authorised a bloody helicopter to patrol a grass lane at my expense I'd have something to say about the matter. Since the County Council has responsibility for the highways, the police will normally only come in response to a formal request from them, and then likely only on the odd occasion.
So much for disinformation.
On to the 'effect on other offroaders' - when ROWs get closed to vehicular traffic its for one of two reasons; either a vociferous user group that hates 4x4s and can prove that the majority use for a particular route is pedestrian, cycles etc.., or the other reason (which the first one plays to) which is that the council cannot afford to maintain it. If anyone seriously think a BOAT closure is in any way related to activity elsewhere then I suggest you are wrong. The arguments to close come down to legalities derived from whatever stance the council wants to take, not what happens elsewhere.
I followed the lengthy public arguments over the Ridgeway in great detail - it was exclusively related to that track and that track alone, no mention of activity anywhere else.
And whats the difference between a rambler committing trespass en masse because they think 'property is theft', and and someone driving their truck quietly along a closed green lane in their own objection? I do the same on the Ridgeway and will continue to do so.
My message is simple. Don't tell us how to run our lives and we won't tell you how to run yours. And slightly sinister PMs don't help either. What goes around comes around.
Now please lets get back to business. (Apologies to Adz, a lot of tedious history here mate, not for you to worry about!).
