A FINAL call has gone out to Lake District farmers and landowners still confused or needing advice about the new public right of access starting this May.

The Lake District National Park Authority is distributing fliers and posters to shops, post offices, information centres and village notice boards, offering free practical help from its 14 rangers.

The act gives ramblers the right to walk freely across mapped areas of open country, including mountains, moors and registered common land. Some areas remain out of bounds, such as domestic gardens, parks and arable land.

Rangers have already helped farmers and landowners across the national park to get to grips with CROW - the Countryside and Rights of Way Act - and stress they are on hand in the run-up to the legislation becoming law.

Ranger manager Shirley Muir said that although the national park already enjoyed large amounts of open access and would not be seeing "sweeping changes", the main priority was identifying new areas where walkers might want to go.

"We want to make sure the new right of access works for everyone. There has been a great deal of consultation between rangers and landowners and we have been monitoring where gates, stiles and information will be needed to let walkers use their new rights, while landowners carry on their business as usual," she said.

She stressed that the authority was on hand to help anyone who still had concerns or wanted practical help.

Queries from South Lakeland and Copeland should go to Chris Robinson on 015394-40252 and from Eden and Allerdale to Mandy Higgins on 017687-79633.

For general CROW information the Open Access Contact Centre is on 0845-100-3298. The centre can also supply free information packs about managing access.

Areas of new access land will be marked on updated editions of Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps and can be seen on www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk