![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/cyclists-compare-new-forest-chiefs-to-apartheid-advocates-in-fresh-row-over-off-track-biking/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TELEMMGLPICT000315039180_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqaxdHoPR4VS7rrG6-F716GdjysIzItx0Zoc4DV6jfM6g.jpeg&description=Speaking out at a recent session of the court, Lord Manners, the Official Verderer, said there had been over 700 instances of off-track cycling this summer. He said he wasn't "anti-cycling" but called on Forestry England to take legal action. Lord Manners is a former solicitor and father-of-four who lives in North Ripley, near Bransgore in the Forest, and whose father held the same post in the 1980s. He said: "The Verderers have over many years expressed to Forestry England their concerns over the ever-increasing amount of cyclists who regularly trespass off the approved cycle routes. "Headlamps now throw a beam many metres ahead which can be seen far away. These facilitate more night cycling, apparently regardless of the impact on nocturnal animals. 'Tyres often incise into soft ground, contributing to erosion and as one track becomes impassable another is created.' Pointing out that owners of dogs who harass livestock are dealt with by police, Lord Manners called on Forestry England to crack down on those flouting the rules. He continued: "The issue of concern is not that of the cyclist who gets lost or the family who inadvertently strays from the network. The issue is those who persistently flout the bylaw." But despite Lord Manners insisting he isn't "anti-cycling" and uses the network himself "from time to time", his demands for prosecution have been firmly rejected by the cycling community. 'There is no need for this antagonism' David Orme, chair of Christchurch Bicycle Club, said there is no evidence that cyclists harm nature more than other visitors and the Verderers have "antagonism" against cyclists. The 64-year-old said: "Cyclists are often treated very badly. In the forest, there is one rule for horse riders and a completely different rule for cyclists. All the prejudice against cyclists is not taking into account the actual evidence. It's built-in bias. "They should focus on cars, littering, fly-tipping and speeding vehicles instead of picking on cyclis){kind=link}
The Verderers, the park’s custodians, say those who stray off marked paths should be prosecuted, prompting accusations of prejudice and bias
A fresh row has broken out between cyclists and New Forest authorities over claims people stray from approved paths when riding their bikes through the national park.
The Verderers, the traditional custodians of the New Forest, have labelled the issue a “widespread problem” because it disturbs nature, erodes paths, and bike lights harm nocturnal animals, they claim.
They have called for cyclists who stray from marked tracks to be prosecuted, but a cycling group contends that the ancient court is prejudiced against them and likened them to supporters of the old South African regime of apartheid.
The comments mark an escalation in an increasingly bitter row over how the national park – which dates back to William the Conqueror – is managed.