A SAILING fan is hoping the Internet will give him the coverage and profile he needs to persuade the Prime Minister to order a shake-up of the Lake District National Park Authority.

Angered by the idea that he may have to pay to canoe on Lake District waters in the future, Alan Jewitt has launched an e-petition on a special Downing Street website calling for park residents to have a say on who sits on the board of the public body.

The 49-year-old Kendal man said the petition, which calls for members to be directly elected, was a "matter of principle" and he has already got the backing of council-nominated LDNPA member Stan Collins.

Mr Jewitt said residents lacked confidence in the organisation because of controversy over Windermere's 10mph speed limit; the departure of the LDNPA's chief officer Paul Tiplady after eight-months of paid leave; and recent talks about the possibility of charging canoes and rowing boats to sail on some Lake District waters.

Although Mr Jewitt supports the Windermere speed limit, which he said had made the lake more peaceful, he said he was concerned by the way the situation had been handled.

He also said he was "strongly opposed" to owners of non-powered vessels being charged to sail on navigable lakes such as Windermere and Coniston - an idea which was raised by members last year to help claw back tens of thousands of pounds likely to be swallowed up by a legal loophole in the registration bylaws and because of a fall in the number of power boats on Windermere.

Although only five people have signed his petition, which is the online equivalent of the paper petitions handed in at the door of Number 10, he is hopeful that when word spreads among the park's population, more of the 42,000 residents will add their names.

Members of the public have until May 15 to add their names to the petition and can do so by logging on to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/theldnpa/.

CAMPAIGNER: Alan Jewitt has launched an e-petition on 10 Downing Street's web site calling for Lake District National Park members to be directly elected and more accountable to local residents.