AS a walker who likes to use Toft Wood for my dogs to add variety to the week, as well as the week before, when I had parked to go for a walk but the barriers were in place, it was with interest I read the article and subsequent letter in the edition of January 10.

I read the article and in my words, I can only describe the rationale for closing off the path, as a load of old toot. (technical term).

The reason being is I’ve never seen crops trampled, everyone is very respectful and there are clear and defined paths for walkers. What I have seen are people shooting, sitting right in the middle of fields adjacent to Toft Wood (which sit off Seven Sisters Lane) hiding in among hedgerows with their guns and their dogs. How did they get to the centre of those fields?

Furthermore, I have witnessed off-road vehicles parked in the fields and what look like ‘hands’ to support the shoot. This I suggest is what will be ‘trampling’ the crop.

In addition, the article mentions the car park is so full of dog walkers and the public that funerals have struggled to park.

I have attended funerals at Toft Church whereby the person’s popularity who has passed away is such that yards of cars are parked up the A50. That seemingly is acceptable.

I further refute that the dog excrement is so abundant that that’s the reason there is now a barrier at the start of the path from the church’s car park to prevent dog fouling.

Having approached the church from Goughs Lane, my dogs could have defecated to their hearts’ content until a few yards from Toft Church, where a further barrier has been erected, yards from the gate into the car park.

There is nothing to stop anyone from entering that long path, as it is open all the way down, barring the last couple yards and for their dogs to use it for their ablutions.

This is just made-up nonsense and excuses to prevent people from using an empty car park.

This brings me to my final point. I have gone every day for 10 days to specifically count the number of vehicles parked at Toft Church now that it’s no longer an access point for Toft Wood, just to see how mightily busy this car park really is and to what extent the church and its beloved patrons use this amenity.

I took a photo each day (having to miss last Saturday as I was away) and with the exception of last Tuesday where the car park was overflowing with one car (gasp in unison) it has been empty.

Now clearly I’m not there every hour of the day, and no doubt Toft Estate and church will quickly form a committee and a rota of cars now to be parked so as to be able to dismiss my claims, but you’re too late, the cat’s out of the bag. I have pictures taken over 10 days.

The article cites Toft Estate has the right to remove a permissive pathway, however, according to Wikipedia (God bless Wiki) a path becomes public status when it’s been in use for more than 20 years. I have lived in Knutsford for 21 years and walked Toft Wood regularly in that time so might I humbly suggest this path’s status needs to be changed and should be recognised as public and the barriers removed or is that a step too far?

Ingerise Bulloch via email