POLITICIANS of all creeds are joining the growing army of Foresters in opposition to the proposed sell-off of the publicly owned Forest.

Meanwhile, the Hands off our Forest campaign has held its first public demonstration and is raising the stakes by planning a series more in the coming months.

And motions put before this week's full meeting of the Forest of Dean District Council are piling on the political pressure.

• Former Conservative and leader of the council, Cllr Marion Winship (Non Political Alliance, Alvington, Aylburton and West Lydney) has put forward a motion reading: "This council is very concerned by the government's stated intention of selling off 50 per cent of publicly owned forest land .... which is likely to generate greater commercial exploitation and possibly reduced access."

She urges the council to "write to both Defra and the Secretary of State for the Environment expressing our grave concern at the proposed sale and asking for assurances that a full and complete public consultation will take place within this district and be heeded."

• Cllr Andrew Gardiner (Independent, Lydbrook and Ruardean) asks that: "This council should do everything in its power to consolidate and enhance the exemptions from sale pertaining to the statutory Forest of Dean".

• Cllr Bruce Hogan (Labour, Lydbrook and Ruardean) has put forward a motion asking that: "This council aligns itself with the local campaign to prevent the sale or transfer of ownership of the Forest of Dean (Hands off our Forest) and invites our member of parliament to a meeting with all elected members so that our views can be heard."

• Cllr Jane Horne (Conservative, Tibberton) suggests adopting a motion that: "This council does everything in its power to resist any sell off or encroachment on any part of our Forest, The Forest of Dean."

Meantime, Coleford Town Council is set to agree: "That this council is totally opposed to the suggested sell-off of the Forest of Dean and its surrounding woodland and will decide what actions the Town council can take to ensure that it does not happen."

And Drybrook Parish Council has written to "enthusiastically support" the HOOF campaign "being determined that the government should heed the local electorate's anger at the potential threat of a sell off of any part of the Forest of Dean's woodland."

Hands off Our Forest campaigners appeared to collect petitions at the Coleford (pictured) and Cinderford lights switch-on and plan to attend this Saturday's Jinglefest in Lydney.

A public meeting is to be held at the Miners' Welfare Hall in Cinderford on December 10 at 7pm. Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon will be there, as will County Council leader Cllr Mark Hawthorne (attending to discuss cuts at the start of the meeting). But MP Mark Harper is unable to attend because of prior engagements.

A walk and rally to exercise off the Christmas pudding is also being planned from Speech House to New Fancy View on January 3.

Petitions have been flooding in to the Review and Forester offices and onto the websites of both newspapers. They now number thousands, with another 2,700 on the campaign's Facebook pages.

Campaign news is also being updated on the new HOOF website www. hands offourforest.org/ and you can read views from the Forest and sign the HOOF petition within our Special Letters pages 34 and 38 of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review newspaper.