RAMBLERS have welcomed the attempt to address off-road vehicle use in the national park, but remain sceptical about the outcome.

Malcolm Petyt, a spokesperson for The Ramblers in Cumbria, said: "We are very dubious about this experiment and about allowing four-wheel drives onto any un-tarmaced surface.

We would like to see further restrictions on all motorised traffic using green lanes, other than use by farmers and for access."

He said that motorised vehicles tended to make roads "rutted and slippery," eventually becoming very unpleasant for other users to make their way along.

"I think drivers like the challenge of a difficult route but walkers, cyclists and horse riders have a right to use the path too.

There is also the danger to people using the road from the passing traffic," he said.

He added that the association was concerned that a voluntary code would not be sufficient to prevent irresponsible behaviour.

"There are responsible users of these vehicles, those who belong to one of the organisations for example, but just as not every walker belongs to the Ramblers Association, not every off-road vehicle owner belongs to an organisation."

Ultimately he was not confident that the Hierarchy of Trails experiment would provide a solution to the problem.

"It is very difficult to see how this issue can be resolved on many roads.

I am afraid I really can not see the experiment working.

I think the situation demands a stronger hand," he said.

Donna O'Brien, footpaths policy officer for The Ramblers, said: "The use of off-road vehicles on unsurfaced routes is incompatible with the quiet enjoyment of the countryside.

We would support a ban on such vehicles in areas where people go to explore the footpaths and wild open spaces of Great Britain."