Angry ramblers are planning a national rally for North Yorkshire in their long-running row over poor footpaths in the county.

Association chiefs claim that despite the wrangle, dangerous footpath obstructions are still not being cleared within target times set by the authority.

But rights of way chief, Graham Cressey, says the pressure group has got its facts wrong and expressed disappointment that it has not discussed its concerns with the authority.

A Ramblers' spokesman said: "The council dramatically conceded in December that it was failing in its legal duty to keep paths open and pledged to tackle 'serious hazards' on paths within five working days."

He said since then, many members of the public reporting problems to the council had also informed the Ramblers' Association.

The spokesman pointed out that each of North Yorkshire's footpath officers had to maintain more than 500 miles of path, compared with only 250 miles in neighbouring County Durham.

He stated: "The situation in North Yorkshire is so bad that the county has been chosen by the Ramblers' Association as the venue for a national footpath rally."

About 2,000 people are expected to attend the rally at the Lightwater Valley theme park, near Ripon, on Sunday, April 9.

Clive Bell, Ramblers' county spokesman, said: "The footpath officers in North Yorkshire are working very hard to try to fulfil the council's new policy, but they have an impossible task as the council refuses to pay for more people on the ground."

But Mr Cressey said: "The policy that they're talking about - the new policy that we introduced in January, not December - relates to farmers and landowners who plough out public rights of way and plant crops, not all obstructions.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.