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How Many Of You Watched Countryfile Last Night?

Joecole

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Last night the issue over the right to roam and wild camp on Dartmoor came to the fore again.
I'm now going to step on a few toes
Having watched it from the perspective of the land owners and seen the pictures of the filth and chaos left by some so called campers I'm now well entrenched on the side of the land owners.
Unfortunately not all wild camping is quite as wild as we would like.
For the most part nobody has curtailed our right to wild camp, we can do it just as long as you're prepared to carry what you need on your back and equally prepared for a 20/30 minute walk to your chosen location
 
Last night the issue over the right to roam and wild camp on Dartmoor came to the fore again.
I'm now going to step on a few toes
Having watched it from the perspective of the land owners and seen the pictures of the filth and chaos left by some so called campers I'm now well entrenched on the side of the land owners.
Unfortunately not all wild camping is quite as wild as we would like.
For the most part nobody has curtailed our right to wild camp, we can do it just as long as you're prepared to carry what you need on your back and equally prepared for a 20/30 minute walk to your chosen location
I have seen it on many, many occasions Joe, does make one’s blood boil with rage!
 
I’m somewhere in the middle of this argument. I believe that with rights there should be responsibilities and it should be made far easier to prosecute those who damage or abuse the land while hiding behind the right to roam “banner.” Littering and trespassing are still only a civil tort unless there are specific bye-laws already in place, the laws protecting wildlife and the countryside need to be better implemented.
As much as I would like to be free to wander where I like I really don’t believe that the majority of British tourists are ready for Allemansrätten. There are too many people wanting to use the tiny proportion of Britain that is still wilderness.
 
They were going to show videos sent in by the bivvybaggers but decided they didn't have sufficient programme space. More interesting to show Adrian Childs mucking about with sheep. Whilst I also feel for the landowners who have had damage and litter issues caused by unruly campers I am of the belief that better policing and taking the vandals to task should be pursued.
 
They were going to show videos sent in by the bivvybaggers but decided they didn't have sufficient programme space. More interesting to show Adrian Childs mucking about with sheep. Whilst I also feel for the landowners who have had damage and litter issues caused by unruly campers I am of the belief that better policing and taking the vandals to task should be pursued.
I agree Dick but I see the problem of finding the resources to find and prosecute the vandals to be the biggest issue. What authority do the Park Rangers have when it comes to taking action against these people?
 
They were going to show videos sent in by the bivvybaggers but decided they didn't have sufficient programme space. More interesting to show Adrian Childs mucking about with sheep. Whilst I also feel for the landowners who have had damage and litter issues caused by unruly campers I am of the belief that better policing and taking the vandals to task should be pursued.
In the same programme they pointed out that government funding had decreased in real terms by 50%. I can remember when there were plenty of Dartmoor Rangers wandering about the moor taking miscreants to task.
 
I agree Dick but I see the problem of finding the resources to find and prosecute the vandals to be the biggest issue. What authority do the Park Rangers have when it comes to taking action against these people?
Effectively none Joe. National park Rangers have a similar level of authority to a traffic warden with the authority to implement bye-laws. Unless they can identify offenders by vehicle reg plates then offenders are difficult to trace. Even Police can only detain and compel offenders to give their name and address once they’ve committed an arrestable offence, not a civil offence.
 
In nearly 40 years of being directly and professionally involved with Dartmoor, working alongside the Rangers, a fine bunch, and speaking to them on a regular basis as friends, I have never known the DNPA prosecute anyone for littering or damage…..Never. 🤷

I just wish they were better resourced, and given real powers with real teeth and sanctions. Until then we are lost I am afraid.
 
In nearly 40 years of being directly and professionally involved with Dartmoor, working alongside the Rangers, a fine bunch, and speaking to them on a regular basis as friends, I have never known the DNPA prosecute anyone for littering or damage…..Never. 🤷

I just wish they were better resourced, and given real powers with real teeth and sanctions. Until then we are lost I am afraid.
Thinking about it a river bailiff can confiscate fishing tackle if you get caught without a licence. Maybe its time to start confiscating camping gear
 
If our government concentrated more on the needs of our own country in every respect..... instead of bailing out every other Tom Dick and Harry we would maybe have more funds to apply to our own needs and heritage.....stop!!!!.....must stop there.....OUT!! :zipped::zipped::zipped:
 
Thinking about it a river bailiff can confiscate fishing tackle if you get caught without a licence. Maybe its time to start confiscating camping gear

Only if you fail/refuse to give details, or cannot provide proof of your identity Joe.

Choice no 1: Seizure of all fishing equipment, Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1975.
Choice no 2: Arrest under PACE, and taken to a Police Station until such time as identity is confirmed.

It would work Joe, but there is not the legislation or the will I am afraid.
 
Only if you fail/refuse to give details, or cannot provide proof of your identity Joe.
Choice no 1: Seizure of all fishing equipment.
Choice 2: Arrest under PACE, and taken to a Police Station until such time as identity is confirmed.

It would work Joe, but there is not the legislation or the will I am afraid.
They have to find a solution and do it quickly Mike. A question for our friends north of the border. How bad is the camping vandalism up there?
 
They all need a good skelping on the Arss with a cricket bat, just my opinion 😏

Grant the rangers community service powers…. Allow them to get the fud’nuts cleaning up.
 
They all need a good skelping on the Arss with a cricket bat, just my opinion 😏

Grant the rangers community service powers…. Allow them to get the fud’nuts cleaning up.
Yeah but then they would scream that your infringing on their civil rights Mark, you know the bit that says they can vandalise to their hearts content
 
One of the key issues with changes to the law is that it principally impacts on the responsible law abiding citizens. As a ‘green laner’ my access to the countryside was changed quite dramatically by the NERC act in 2006. There are plenty of places I can’t now ride my taxed, MOT’d, insured road legal enduro bike; the kids on non road legal motor-cross bikes (often stolen) still carry on as the change in the law doesn’t affect them because they weren’t legal previously and they dont care!

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One of the key issues with changes to the law is that it principally impacts on the responsible law abiding citizens. As a ‘green laner’ my access to the countryside was changed quite dramatically by the NERC act in 2006. There are plenty of places I can’t now ride my taxed, MOT’d, insured road legal enduro bike; the kids on non road legal motor-cross bikes (often stolen) still carry on as the change in the law doesn’t affect them because they weren’t legal previously and they dont care!

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Unfortunately a slap on the wrist doesn't have any effect on the little toerags. A couple of hours of community service which they probably never complete
 
There is a chunk of society who effectively live outside the law as they don’t think it applies to them and don’t care for anyone or anything outside their circle of interest. They commit repeated low level offences that dont warrant jail (which is massively expensive to society) so they get fines which they pay off in low and almost continuous instalments and community service which they deliver with minimum effort!

The people leaving rubbish behind on Dartmoor know they are ruining it for others but they don’t care; they will go back when it’s banned because again they don’t care as society’s rules don’t apply to them!

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