Sheila, Zena and Zola

I would just like to give my views to the devastation I constantly see on Crompton Moor where I have walked my dogs virtually every day for the past twenty years whatever the weather.

I still love the place and feel safe despite the problems created by the mountain bikers and the off road motorcyclists, this probably has a lot to do with the early times I am there.

However, I have come across mountain bikers in the woods sitting around camp fires and I politely asked them to be very careful that the fire was not allowed to get out of hand. The rubbish is horrendous and I feel very sad that these people do not have any respect for the countryside.

They don’t know how lucky they are to live so near to this area. I am not against all the mountain bikers. There are plenty I see who are very careful and they always say good morning. These aren't the ones who are causing the damage to the woods and paths.

I don't go in the evenings now as there were always motorcyclists riding past me and my dogs at dangerously fast speeds and the noise spoiled the walk anyway. The mess made by these bikes is terrible too. In summer, you can hardly walk at the top near the mast for the mud caused by the constant tearing about. A few years ago, there were some paths at the top of the moor which were hardly visible but now they are ten feet and more across due to the motorbikes. I have telephoned the police several times in the past but you feel that you are wasting your time. I shall ring them again though the next time I see any damage being done or any off road motorcyclists up there and I will make sure that I receive a crime reference number.

I feel that spending more money up there is less important than ensuring that the damage to the woods and paths is prevented in the future. If there is money available, perhaps it could be used to employ wardens to visit the area more often to keep an eye open for vandalism etc.

I hope this letter shows how much I appreciate the freedom of being able to walk my dogs on open moorland and I hope this can continue for years to come.

Sheila.






	Contact the Rangers on 0161 620 8202 (Strinesdale Centre) or 0161 627 2608 (Tandlehill) Other contact details