REGARDING the petition to get the Forestry Commission to clear up better.

Firstly I am not the lead campaigner, I am just one of  a large group of people who are trying to get things changed.

We know it is a working forest but oil drums can be removed, fences can be removed from undergrowth, tyres and wheels can be taken away  and waymarked paths can be reinstated.  Sadly this is not being done.

Mr Stannard says he has replied to all messages. This is, sadly, untrue as many I have sent remain unanswered and indeed he has never made any reply about oil drums being littered all over the forest.Indeed the Forestry Commission deny this is the case!

I am also aware of many others that remain unanswered.

Regarding the petition, the online version was added to allow visitors to sign as they do not have access to the local paper version.

This was only ever a supplement to the main paper one and by now will have been taken down to avoid it being signed by people who have not been here.

All we ask is that the contractors employed and monitored  by the Forestry Commission keep their works as tidy as possible as they go  and once finished clear up properly. Fly-tipping is bad enough without the addition of rubbish left by them. It never used to be like it is now, it seems that in the last two years things have got much worse.

Regarding Bradley Hill we know that tourism has been affected this year and are therefore simply asking that the second phase of works are postponed until the first area has recovered.

We do not think this is much to ask as there are many other areas in far greater need of 'management' than this one.

Our fight will go on and once our petition target has been reached, which will we hope not be long, we shall arrange to present it to Mr Stannard in person.

– Matt Caldwell, Ruspidge.