Tresspassers and squatting

[tracy]

At the SWOG meeting, someone put this down as a topic for discussion. So, here it is!

We do have people walk their dogs though our woods, although we don\'t mind at the moment, I would be much happier if they always cleaned up the poop!

Do any of you have problems with kids/ litter/ unwanted people?

How do you deal with it?

[RichardKing]

you should be aware that if you tacitly permit & fail to challenge tresspassers, then after a certain number of years they may claim right of access, or seek to get it reistered as a public right of way.

[DaveTaz]

I get the feeling from other woodland owners that "unwanted visitors" can be a pain. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot you can do about it. As far as I am aware people are only tresspassing if their actions cause criminal damage, which you then have to prove!

Our woodland is over a mile along a track going through other woodlands with absolutely no public rights of way, at about 250 metres above sea level. We get people walking through occassionally and I have approached them and told them it is and always has been private property, however some of them have been walking dogs there for years (we bought our woodland last year). I have then requested that they keep dogs on leads and stick to the main tracks advising them that there is active management including forestry operations and pest control measures

People do tend to take notice if you are polite and genuine when expressing your concerns, other than that you would have to erect a fence around the whole place, which isn't an option most of us would want to consider

If you do have visitors causing trouble then I think the only solution is to phone the police.

A neighbouring woodland owner had a problem with some body camping without permission. They had burned stacks of firewood and created a mess leaving litter and drug paraphenalia. The police came to look but by then the people had gone, leaving their stuff behind (which was susequently disposed of). According to the police, if they could have found these people they could have been prosecuted for theft of the fire wood!

[Underwoodsman]

When we bought our woods we had a pre existing band of dog walkers. It is dificult to control as we have public rights of way passing through so we just live with it, putting signs up asking them to bag the doggy doodoo and take it away has helped.

As for creating rights of way you can avoid this by making a section 31 declaration and lodging it with the local authority rights of way department. It is not dificult and most county councils have information and a template letter on their web site. You will need to remember to renew as it expires after a set period of years.

John W

[greyman]

I thought we had a few issues with people walking thier dogs along our bottom track but this weekend we found quad bike tracks all around and in the middle of our wood. We think there was only one vehicle but I was standing on the main footpath through the wood the other Sunday when four lovely shiny new quad bike hove over the horizon and skidded to a halt about a hundred feet in front of me. They were looking to go up the newly laid track into the other parts of the wood but siddadled when I started walking up towards them. They seem to have come from the nearby Industrial Estate and through a local nature reserve. Ah well, it was nice in my wood up 'til now.

[tracy]

It's sad when you find all is not perfect isn't it! Have you called the police? Even though they likely can do nothing, its good to get it on file.

What are you plans to deal with it?

[The Sawyer]

Hi greyman, we have had similar issues in past. we found the best way to stop the probles was to turn up in the van (big white and official looking) and puting up signs reminding people of the wrights of way legislation and the fact that they are on private property, although we still have the odd problem we have delt with of most of it.

as Tracy says speak to the local police and if you can contact them the police wildlife officer as they have specific knowledge of countryside law.

hope this is of help

TTFN kester

[RichardKing]

Last winter I had about a dozen small & medium trees cut down & stolen in two raids. Near a gate to the road & probably at night as somehow they missed a stack of freshly cut logs that were only ten yards further down the track. Reported to the police & they assigned a crime number. Couple of weeks ago they sent me some standard letter advising me of how to obtain councilling to help me get over the trauma of the theft!!

[greyman]

Well, My wife now has PTSD and I think I may need to take 6 years off work due to the trauma of not being able to give the little blighters a good whack with a large stick! Tracy has met my wife and knows what a delicate flower she is.

As for what we're going to do: if we meet the delightful charmers we will talk in hushed tones being all lightness and sweetness itself - we will ask them if they would mind terribly if they didn't use the wood to work off thier frustrations with society and instead seek enlightenment through getting a job, getting out of bed before 12 everyday, pay some taxes and join the rest of us in supporting the country's banking system with its huge debts!

[RichardKing]

Even more laughable was when the police phoned me back after I had initially reported the ctime. He said that he suspected a group of local gypsies and told me of their location. He then mentioned that their surname was "King" and implied that I was involved in some kind of family dispute !! Quite frankly if you get a few trees pinched then I would not bother wasting your time reporting it to those wasters.