WALKERS are preparing to fight Cumbria County Council for more cash to clear overgrown footpaths.

Members of the Ramblers' Association fear walkers will be driven away from South Lakeland and Furness and businesses will suffer if paths are not better maintained.

Dr Malcolm Petyt, of the RA, said the campaign would start by the end of summer after CCC revealed paths might only be inspected once every nine years.

"Overgrown paths can be dangerous and people will not come to walk in areas where they find a lot of the footpaths are impassable, so they won't spend their money in the local shops and pubs," he said.

The responsibility for maintaining public rights of way outside the Lake District National Park recently passed from South Lakeland District Council to CCC.

But CCC has revealed its contractors would only be able to inspect paths every eight or nine years "due to budgetary constraints".

The problem came to light when Arnside Parish Council complained paths around the community were becoming "almost impassable".

The situation has become so dire that council chairman Dave Willacy has "in desperation" chopped back some of the growth himself, as has the former chairman of the Village Society, Dennis Bradbury.

Mr Bradbury's house backs on to a public footpath that he said quickly became overgrown if left to its own devices.

"It's not only branches, it's nettles. A lot of the paths have got overhanging branches which really do need cutting back."

He said that led to a safety risk if walkers did not spot the branches: "I once had my glasses whipped off by a branch that ran across the path.

"It's a problem. If the authority couldn't do it for eight or nine years, within two years you wouldn't be able to get along the path."

Dr Petyt agreed: "Paths can get overgrown in just one season."

He criticised CCC for making walking more difficult when the Government was trying to promote healthier living.

CCC South Lakeland engineer Nick Raymond acknowledged less frequent inspections meant public rights of way would become "slightly" more overgrown.

He added: "To say that it's going to be completely blocked would be untrue."

Mr Raymond said blocked paths would be dealt with "on a reactive basis" and anyone who encountered one should report it.

The number to contact is the Highways Hotline on 0845-609-6609.