I LIVE in Grove Road, Bournemouth and have until the past couple of months always been able to walk with my family and friends through various pathways to the bus stop on East OverCliff Drive, to catch the bus into town or to walk through to access the amazing sea views on East Overcliff Road.

However some of the various hotels along Grove Road that front onto East OverCliff Drive that used to allow people to walk freely across their sites are now closing down these pathways and blocking off the routes through with physical barriers and signs about private land etc.

If all these hotel sites blocked off the pathways, if you parked on or lived on Grove Road you may have to walk all the way down to the ends of the long road and then double back on yourself to catch the bus. If you were unable for whatever reason to walk that far you would not be able to catch a bus into town.

I wrote to the council about the hotels blocking off the walks and was told that the hotels could block the ways off and even put up gates if they wanted as they are not public footpaths.

They said that in order for a path to become a public footpath it needs to be proved that people have accessed the paths for over 20 years etc.

I have spoken to a few people already who have used these paths for over 20 years and I am willing to fill in and submit all the forms for this to be actioned by the council.

However we need as many people as possible and I am therefore appealing to anyone who has used these natural pathways through the hotels from Grove Road to East OverCliff Drive for any amount of time whatever in the past 20 plus years, even for just a couple of years say and who would be prepared to fill in a form to verify that they used these pathways.

This applies to not only residents in Grove Road, but anyone who has also used the paths previously.

If you can help at all please could you contact me on my email at Jessicasmiley12345@mail.com

I am willing to send out the printed forms and any other information required.

Let's try to keep our footpaths open.

JANE COOKE, Grove Road, Bournemouth