Last updated 16:26, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

MORE than 1,000 walkers have signed a petition asking Prime Minister Gordon Brown to safeguard lost rights of way.

The petition, which was started by Janet Davis of the Ramblers’ Association (RA) at the beginning of the month, asks the government to repeal sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act which will lead to some footpaths and bridleways being lost forever if they are not recorded by 2026.

The government originally funded a project to record the potential 20,000 routes which could be lost, but the Discovering Lost Ways project was terminated without recording a single route.

Janet Davis, the RA’s rights of way policy co-ordinator, said the walkers’ charity had been opposed to the 2026 deadline when it was originally suggested.

“We feel the recording of lost rights of way is much better done by small groups or individuals at their own pace. They can then take the results to local authorities,” she said. “And they should be able to do this long into the future.

“The simple cure to the problem is to repeal this legislation. The implications aren’t huge for the government.”

When the CRoW Act was passed in 2000, the then environment minister Michael Meacher told Parliament: “It is important to bring definitely to a close the exercise of determining the rights-of-way network.

“However, we do not intend to do that without ensuring that there are adequate resources to make it possible for all existing paths that can reasonably be found to be found.”

Earlier this year, Natural England, the Government body given the task of finding those paths, admitted it didn’t have the resources to cope with the scale of the job and would have to abandon it.

PATTERDALE Mountain Rescue Team won the It’s A Knockout contest celebrating the 75th anniversary of the rescue movement recently.

The volunteers from the north-east of the Lake District took on rescue teams from all over Cumbria as well as representatives of Cumbria Police and a rescue team from RAF Leeming in the event in Ambleside.

The competition was the highlight of a day of activities which aimed to raise Mountain Rescue’s profile, provide information for the public and recognise the contribution made by the volunteers and their families.

There were also displays and demonstrations, including a river rescue, search-dog training techniques, a crag rescue and a visit by the Great North Air Ambulance.

Entrance to the event was free, but donations raised £1,500 for the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, the umbrella organisation for rescue teams in the area.

Mountain Rescue (England and Wales) used the event as a platform to launch Call Out Mountain Rescue, a new pocket guide to safety on the hills.

WALKERS can enjoy a free introductory session with a Nordic walking trainer in Keswick on Saturday.

Nordic Walking is a low-impact exercise using walking poles.

Rob Stonehouse, Leki Poles’ Nordic walking trainer, said: “Nordic walking works for everybody.

“By using walking poles correctly you’ll burn more calories and get your heart working more effectively without walking faster or longer.”

The session starts from the George Fisher store on Lake Road at 10am.

To reserve your place, phone the store on 017687 72178.