THE pylons controversy took a dramatic new twist today when a North Yorkshire widow denied National Grid workers access to her farmland.

Rosalind Craven's defiant stand against the scheme to build power lines across the Vale of York up to the city's boundaries was backed by more than a dozen supporters - including the local Women's Institute.

Together with campaigners, she refused to move away from the gate at her farm near Huby - forcing the company to retreat.

But she was warned by National Grid that she now faceed court action.

A spokesman said the company was likely to apply to the High Court for an injunction allowing access to Mrs Craven's land at Home Farm, where it wants to build three pylons. It would also have to consider whether to seek damages for her actions.

This would be the first time in more than a decade of controversy over the pylons that the company has had to take such action, which a spokesman said was "regretful".

The developments come only days after 400,000 countryside campaigners invaded London for the Liberty and Livelihood march, calling for a better deal for rural Britain.

The farmgate confrontation began with Mrs Craven, 61, reading out a statement explaining why she was refusing access.

She said she was claiming her constitutional and democratic rights to property, to free speech, to peaceful protests and to assemble with others.

"I claim all these rights and wish to exercise them without fear of punishment, penalty, persecution or being declared obstructive by the National Grid company," she said.

"No one has the power to deprive me of these fundamental constitutional rights."

She believed that any attempt to force entry on to the property would be potentially illegal.

Fellow protesters accused the representatives of National Grid and contractors Balfour Beatty of being intimidatory to Mrs Craven.

Mary Cooper, vice-chairwoman of Huby WI, joined the protesters, saying she had concerns about the environmental and health impact of the power lines. "I suppose we cannot do anything about it, but we certainly can make our voice heard," she said.

Professor Mike O'Carroll, chairman of the anti-pylons' campaign group Revolt, called on National Grid to go away today and give a detailed reply in writing to a lengthy submission that Mrs Craven had made previously explaining her position.

Project manager David Mercer said: "Our legal advice is that we have the right of access. Unless we are obstructed, that is what we will do. I appreciate this is a very difficult situation."

A company spokesman said it had been attempting to have a constructive meeting with Mrs Craven for two years.

"Regretfully we have been unable to do that," he said.

Updated: 15:01 Tuesday, September 24, 2002