FOREST entrepreneur Harry Kear has said he's willing to pay somebody to run pigs in the Dean as part of the ancient right of 'Pannage'

But the message behind his bid to reinvigorate the right is one of attempting to open debate about enclosing and fencing off hamlets within the Forest to protect them from wild boar.

In a widely circulated advert, Mr Kear says: "It has come to our attention that the Forestry Commission no longer advertises the Pannage Right which allows pigs to roam freely in autumn within the Forest. We would like to see this continue and are willing to subsidise pig owners to take up this right."

"I'm a born and bred forester even though not a freeminer," Mr Kear told the Review. "People have certain rights to run pigs through the Forest but the Forestry Commission seem to have stopped advertising this right. I'm prepared to pay to have people run pigs in the Dean and I'll give them money so I can brand (paint) the pigs with the 'Kear and Ku' logo and put them on YouTube.

"Yes it is a bit of fun, but there's a purpose behind this. It's to highlight and start a proper discussion about the wild boar problem and the problems they are causing in hamlets like mine.

"The Forestry Commission, the largest landowner in the area, seem oblivious to the problems faced by hamlets within the Forest. People are getting fed up with wild boar making a mess and potentially being dangerous. I'm concerned about going out in the dark with my dogs at night and so are many of my neighbours.

"We're prepared to pay to put up fences which would allow people through, but keep the boar out. If the Forestry Commission would allow us to do that and make Forest hamlets safe from the boar that would be great. We've asked them, but they say no, it wouldn't be fair to other people and the freedom to roam.

"This is not about killing the wild boar, it is about enclosing them in areas where they are not a problem for Foresters. I really don't see why I should be inconvenienced by the Forestry Commission. People are scared to go out of their houses. Please please listen to people who have lived here forever."