T he article on the "Our Countryside" page in your issue of 28 August headed "Farmers fearful of rights of way Act" is unduly alarmist.

It is most unlikely that the new access arrangements "will give new opportunity for rural crime". The same sort of very dubious logic resulted 30 years ago in the route of the Ridgeway National Trail through the Chequers estate being moved further away from the Prime

Minister's residence, because a potential assassin would naturally keep to the right of way wouldn't he! Wonderfully British of course, but quite daft. It can as easily be argued that, on the contrary, the presence of extra law-abiding and responsible eyes and ears in the countryside can only benefit landowners and thus help to reduce rural crime.

The impression is given that all of this has happened suddenly. In fact it is well over 5 years since the first Government consultation paper on the subject was issued and over 3 years since the primary legislation was passed, and that was only done after the most exhaustive and rigorous examination, preceded by an equally exhaustive period of consultation. The definition of "open country" in the CROW Act 2000 is the same as that in

the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (yes, 1949!) - wholly or predominantly mountain, moor, heath or down (and which is not registered common land). Thus cultivated (for example, arable) land is therefore excluded, although that would not be

apparent from your article. The new arrangements only convey a right of access; there is no change of, or loss of, ownership. So how can there be "prospect of estates shrinking" under the CROW Act?

The attempt by Mr Snodgrass to portray this as another so-called burden on farmers is equally misleading. As he says, they may well be leaving "because of the economics of farming", but that is very complex issue that requires proper examination and explanation. Anyone seriously looking for such an explanation could well start with the background

provided by "The Archers" scriptwriter Graham Harvey's award-winning book "The Killing of the Countryside".

CLIVE BOSTLE, St Davids Drive,

Evesham.