THERE have been many articles referring to the New Forest and people who ride bicycles.

As someone who was born here in Burley, may I on behalf of many other residents point out that we are not against people cycling.

What does annoy us, are those who have no traffic sense and presume they have the right to take up most of the road.

We are worried about accidents and worst of all, deaths.

In respect of the ‘Boris Bike’ idea, it may well sound good, but how often do you really think those would be used?

I suggest only on warm sunny days.

In the meantime, people already bring their bikes on the back of cars, or go to a hire shop.

Now there is talk of having special cycle paths and tracks invading the Forest!

Again it may seem reasonable, but that is not what the New Forest is all about. It is a place of nature.

It is not a recreational park for humans to destroy.

It is also meant to be protected.

On, a political note, please do not presume that all Liberal Democrats want the Forest to be used for leisure purposes and that the Conservatives are any better.

My question here is, how many councillors are genuine locally born and bred people?

Certainly neither of the current Forest MPs are.

And yet these people make the decisions about an area they have no history with.

I have stood as a candidate for the district and parish councils. But not being a Conservative, I was not elected.

I am, in my mind, a centre ground Liberal, somewhere between the Conservative and Labour Parties.

I am not a social democrat.

RICHARD GRANT, Burley.