Letter: Double standards in government action on gypsies

Sir: Readers of your feature 'Forbidden Britain' (19 August) should be advised that very few of the footpaths and rights of way mentioned would be in existence today if an earlier government had introduced proposals to criminalise the use of land without the owner's consent as referred to in the consultative paper concerning camping by travellers and gypsies.

Historically landowners rarely consented to the use of their land by third parties. Wayfarers required access, for example, to church and market, and simply crossed land that did not belong to them. Continuous use of this access established rights of way recognised by English common law and these are the footpaths enjoyed by ramblers today.

There is also a longstanding right in English law to acquire title to property by occupying a site over a period of years without paying rent or receiving any objection.

A body of law developed in England over centuries would be destroyed by Sir George Younger at a stroke. Any further attempt to create rights of way, or any form of adverse possession, could mean an appearance before the magistrates.

All this is a further attempt to suppress gypsy culture which, like all previous attempts, will fail for as long as travellers remain unattracted to the alternative sedentary lifestyle. Until then, whatever happened to the Tories' freedom to choose?

Yours faithfully,

PHILIP WINTER-TAYLOR

Reading

19 August