I AGREE with the recent correspondent who wrote regarding Osborne Walk in Radcliffe.

I have lived there for 30 years and 20 years ago the path was never used by the general public. There was a gate to stop them but then the council came along and laid a path so that every Tom, Dick and Harry had access!

People have used it for about 16 years, not 20, and to make it a public right-of-way ignores my rights as a resident to be vandal-free, noise-free and safe. There are broken bottles strewn around, syringes have been found, and motorbikes go past. Sometimes the noise is so bad I cant hear the TV.

My children are in danger of stepping out right in front of a motorbike. You wouldnt be allowed to ride a motorbike on the footpath along Turks Road or Countess Lane, so why should Osborne Walk be any different?

My deeds say the footpath outside my house is private and it always has been, and it is the councils fault for trying to make it public. If they have to, why not have it open from 7am to 9pm then lock gates at both ends.

Should anything happen to me or to any member of my family because of the dangers of this path then I would sue the council because they are well aware of the risks we face.

If they want a short-cut, why not take six feet off the allotments and use that.

RESIDENT