A WELTER of heavyweight support has come in from all corners of the country to support those involved in the Hands of Our Forest campaign.

High profile supporters include environmentalist, Jonathon Porritt, American writer and Tidy Britain campaigner, Bill Bryson and the Bishop of Gloucester.

In a his latest blog, Jonathon Porritt, a long time friend of Prince Charles, writes about "Why you wouldn't want to be Mark Harper MP".

In his personal capacity as a campaigner, he writes: "Mark Harper is a Tory MP for the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. He's also a Junior Minister – for Constitutional Reform. He's also in the process of engineering his own political extinction at the next General Election.

The Forest of Dean (which I look on as my own 'local' Forest, being a resident of Cheltenham) is in the front line of the growing campaign to prevent the Government from selling off the public forest estate in England. And Mark Harper's neck is on the block having stood for election saying one thing (maintain the Forest of Dean as part of the Public Forest Estate) only to say something completely different (flog it off as soon as possible) now that he's got a toehold on that greasy ministerial pole.

"I can't help but think that Mark Harper's grasp of local history must be very primitive. The history of protest and dissent on the part of the Foresters goes back to the start of the 17th century, and more often than not those who chose to take them on came off second best."

Meanwhile, Bill Bryson, chair of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has written: "As President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England I am delighted to back our Gloucestershire branch's opposition to any sale of the Forestry Commission estate in the Forest of Dean.

"It is extraordinary that one of the country's most ancient forests – a place of great beauty that is enjoyed by so many people – is also one of the least protected.

"The Forest of Dean is immensely valuable to the nation. It should continue to be managed as a whole for the widest public benefit. I salute your efforts to defend this special area and wish you success."

There will be a rally with music and speeches at the Speech House fields on January 3. Anyone supporting the preservation of the Forest of Dean as a publicly accessible forest should be there. It starts at 12.30pm with a gathering in the Speech House Field at 1pm.

•Hands off our Forest placards can be picked up at the Review offices – telephone 01594 841113 in advance.