A WYESIDE village is up in arms over rights of access to a riverside launching space and heated views have been exchanged at a public inquiry which has just finished.

Now the residents of picturesque Tintern will have to wait for an inspector's report on whether or not the route to the river near the town's historic Abbey is a highway, a bridleway or a footpath.

The decision would make all the difference for anyone wanting to take a vehicle or a boat down to or up from the waterside, and the whole village has been locked in five titanic days of debate.

"The people of Tintern aren't just going to let this matter rest," said Desmond Davies, clerk of the River Wye and Lugg Navigation Company which is dedicated to maintaining the river as a working waterway.

It has already taken the controversial step of clearing "obstructions", which include parts of local residents' gardens, to make a route to the river.

Mr Davies said it was uncertain after the five days (it was estimated at the start of the inquiry that it would take only a couple of days) which way the decision would go.

He believed that the problems arose from an incident in 1977 when Monmouth County Council was informed that the route was being blocked yet did nothing about the situation.

And he said he thinks this has led to today's situation where the council was being "wishy washy" and wanted the soft option of making the access a footpath or bridleway rather than a road.