Barbed wire blocking Ludlow bridleway is 'illegal and dangerous'

Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North, said he was out for a walk with his dog when he found a single, hard-to-see strand of barbed wire strung across a public right of way near Steventon, on the outskirts of Ludlow.

He said had he been on a bicycle or horse he may not have seen the obstruction, which was also at head height for a small child to run into. The case echoes one near Much Wenlock earlier this year, where a bridleway off the A458 at Muckley Cross was deliberately and repeatedly sabotaged with broken glass, tins, branches and twine along the path by an unknown person, sparking fears for horse rider and cyclists especially.

Councillor Boddington said the barbed wire may be less dramatic but was still dangerous.

He said: “I immediately reported this to Shropshire Council, which is responsible for ensuring that landowners maintain rights of way. I also filed a report with West Mercia Police. It is a criminal offence to block a right of way but I was more concerned that this was incredibly dangerous.

“I was out walking Mel the collie. After a few hundred metres and one difficult gate, we strode down into a glade. I didn’t see the barbed wire at first. It is green and didn’t stand out against the foliage either side of the bridleway. But we stopped in time. If the sun had been glaring towards us, we might have missed it altogether.

“The single strand of wire is about waist height. One end is attached to a post, the other nailed to a tree. I photographed the obstacle and returned along the path, I wasn’t in the mood for battling through obstacles and we had met two already.

“I wouldn’t normally report a blocked bridleway or footpath to the police, their resources are stretched enough as it is. But a cyclist, child or horse could easily have run into the wire, so I dropped an email to our local policing team.

“Not every path in the countryside is a right of way. Some, such as the path through Tinkershill Wood is an informal path. The public use it but have no legal right to do so. Landowners do not have a responsibility to maintain informal paths, but they must maintain rights of way.

“The best way to check the status of a path is through Shropshire Council’s ArcGIS application. This will also give you the reference number for the right of way.”

He said anyone encountering a blocked bridleway should email Shropshire Council’s outdoor recreation team at outdoor.rec reation@shropshire.gov.uk or call on 0345 678 9000. Dangerous cases should be reported to the police on 101 or by emailing ludlow.snt@westmercia.pnn.police.uk