OWSLEBURY residents are being urged to take care of their countryside.

Reports have emerged of excess vegetation growths at numerous walkways and public footpaths forcing parish councillors to ask for help cutting it back.

There have also been a number of reports of parishioners diverting from these footpaths and instead walking on farmers’ land.

The parish council clerk, Michael Cleary, said: “The Council would be grateful for the help of all occupiers of land adjacent to public paths and bridleways to do all they can to avoid obstructing paths by cutting back vegetation. Naturally, the Council will endeavour to assist, as it has over the years, with particularly difficult areas.

“The other side of the coin is equally important. There have been recent examples of parishioners and others diverting from the public footpaths and trespassing onto farmers’ land - in one case making a new path through a field of barley - or letting their dogs off the lead to run through fields of crops This is not in the spirit of 'good neighbourly practice', and is some cases is unlawful.

“We are a community with unrivalled access to the countryside and the Council encourages everyone to play their part in keeping it that way.”