Mr Bennett, who is president of the Ramblers' Association and joint chairman of the Commons environment select committee, told BBC News Online he does not want Mr Van Hoogstraten to set a precedent. The whole aim of the both the Ramblers' Association and myself is to see this abuse is stopped, that landowners do not break the law by closing rights of way, that councils enforce the law an in an increasingly crowded island, people can get out into the country to enjoy peace of mind to look at flowers and wildlife. A keen walker, Mr Meacher told a Countryside Commission conference in London last month he was examining a mix of voluntary and legally binding deals to resolve the problem. The government has published a consultation paper called The Right to Roam following its manifesto pledge to give people more freedom to explore the UK countryside. But landowners are complaining that allowing more rights of way will lead to expensive security measures to protect livestock from dogs.
Ramblers argue that voluntary arrangements with farmers have never worked in the past.
The Country Landowners' Association is strongly opposed to any new law, saying it would lead to the biggest erosion of its members' rights this century. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.