I AM always pleased when the Daily Echo covers New Forest stories.

However, may I respectfully suggest that the tone of your coverage about cycling is a little off-beam. 

It’s perfectly true that there were problems with some large cycling events in our National Park. 

These involved both a very small minority of cyclists and those protesting. 

In response to the conflict, the National Park Authority drew up a voluntary charter which has been largely successful. The problems we have had in the last couple of years have been much-reduced. A degree of calm and good sense has been exercised on both sides.

At a meeting of the National Park Authority this week, officers reported back on the good progress. Members agreed that we would continue monitoring and have a further report back in a year.

The front page headline in your paper gives the impression that there are still major problems and significant conflict with cycling group representatives. 

READER LETTER: Councillor should be doing something about mass cycling events rather than just talking about them >>>

This isn’t so. I don’t claim to speak for the entire National Park Authority but my wish would be for your paper to use less sensationalist tactics and appreciate that cyclists are welcome in our National Park. 

It’s a great, healthy activity that causes few problems, no pollution and certainly not the carnage we see with vehicles hitting animals.

Quite properly, the members spent much more time discussing what might be done to tackle the latter issue. I look forward to seeing this reflected in future issues.

Councillor David Harrison, Member, New Forest National Park Authority.