THE argument as to whether vehicles should be allowed to continue using the Ridgeway and other byways drags on and the point which always seems to be glossed over is the serious damage caused to these old paths.

That motor vehicles are a serious problem is now widely acknowledged with even properly constructed roads and motorways in a constant state of disrepair due to the incessant pounding from wheels. It is therefore absurd to allow non essential traffic onto fragile green lanes which rapidly disintegrate after vehicles pass along them, especially in wet weather.

Many try to blame farmers for damaging these old paths but the fact is without farm vehicles over the years there would be no paths, tractors do cause some problems but most of the destruction seen today is coincident with the growth of leisure traffic.

To illustrate this I enclose photographs of the path on Smeathe's Ridge which farm vehicles have used ever since I first saw it in 1957, one photo was taken in April 1990 when I first noticed off-roaders using it the other is of the same spot in February 1994. This shows that for 33 years farm vehicles had little or no impact on the path, but leisure traffic ruined the surface in four years.

This kind of damage is widespread all over the Downs, most seriously on Beacon Hill, near Devizes, where Wiltshire County Council has had to close the old coach road to prevent further vehicle damage from occurring.

R G SMITH

Haydon View Road

Swindon