PEOPLE living in Hamsterley Forest are calling for more to be done to prevent 4x4s accessing an historic track after a vehicle was abandoned and stripped along the route.
County officers plan to temporarily restrict access to the green lane through the forest to make repairs and allow for vegetation to recover from damage caused by errant 4×4 drivers.
The lane was closed temporarily in August 2020 after three 4x4s crashed and were abandoned in the forest. One smashed into Ayhope Beck, raising concerns about pollution in waterway, which is an important salmon spawning river. In the latest incident a vehicle crashed through a Forestry England stock fence before coming to a halt on November 18.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “Over the weekend it had been partially stripped with the wheels removed and all glass shattered and strewn around the vehicle. It is leaking oil and what looks like diesel – the fluids will leach into the culvert nearby and end up in Ayhope Beck at the bottom of the hill.
“This has happened on previous occasions when vehicles have been abandoned and not promptly dealt with and removed
“The delay in removing the vehicle will mean costs incurred will be greater as the wheels have been removed and it will need lifting out.”
Along with police, Durham County Council and Forestry England, the resident had also alerted the Environment Agency about the potential for pollution in the beck.
Richard Gilchrist, of Forestry England, confirmed the vehicle had come to a halt on privately owned land and it was for Durham County Council and the landowner to remove it. He added: “The abandoned vehicle in question was driving on a road designated as a Byway Open to All Traffic on private fell land outside Hamsterley Forest. The vehicle has been driven into the forest boundary fence that runs alongside the byway. The vehicle was taxed, had a MOT, had number plates and VIN number.”
However, police were under the impression that the vehicle had been removed immediately.
A police spokesperson said: “Police were called to reports of an abandoned vehicle at Redford, Hamsterley Forest shortly after 8.30am on November 19. On arrival, the vehicle had been moved.”
The resident said the vehicle had been taken away after more than two weeks when staff from Bolihope Estate moved it to another area easier to access for county contractors.
He added: “It was good work by all involved especially David Mills, the Durham County Council neighbourhood warden for our area.”
The county’s strategic highways manager, Paul Watson, said the road would be temporarily shut early next year.
He added: “We are aware of the issues created by vehicles using Doctors Gate and Hamsterley Forest which are causing damage to the natural habitat and the road surface and the abandonment of vehicles.
“We are seeking to implement vehicle restrictions through the implementation of a temporary traffic regulation order which will ban the use of motorised vehicles on the area to allow the habitat to become established again.
“In the meantime we would encourage anyone using the forest to do so responsibly and consider the impact that they are having on the forest and the surrounding natural environment.”
