Newbold Comyn cycle trail protesters 'intimidated into silence'

Construction started in October with completion expected by March 2023

People protesting about the construction of new cycle trails say they are being "intimidated" into silence by a local authority.

The tracks are currently under construction at a country park in Newbold Comyn, Warwickshire.

Warwick District Council said the campaigners were carrying out "unlawful actions" at the site, accusing them of intimidating contractors.

In turn, the group said the language used was "misleading and damaging".

Police officers were called to the site on Tuesday morning, but no offences were recorded, said Warwickshire Police.

Campaigners are calling for an immediate halt to development at the site, saying the trails are intrusive and damaging

The trails and a cycling hub at the 300-acre site on the outskirts of Leamington Spa are the first part of plans councillors say will transform the area.

Construction started in October with completion expected by March 2023, the district council said.

In a statement following Tuesday's incident, the local authority's leader Andrew Day said it was "regrettable" the action of a "vocal minority who are seeking to intimidate our contractors" had caused "personal concern and undue stress".

"It saddens me that some feel it is appropriate to take matters into their own hands, and to resort to unlawful actions in an attempt to impose their will against the wishes of the wider community."

The leader of Warwick District Council, Andrew Day, accused the group of unlawful actions

Kate Pittel, from The Friends of Newbold Comyn group, said the "inflammatory language" seemed to be "a deliberate ploy to silence and intimidate people who have spoken out".

The group is calling for an immediate halt to development at the site, saying the trails were "more intrusive and damaging to the landscape than we could ever have imagined".

Mr Day, however, said the new facilities were "well supported by local residents" and had been through "a comprehensive planning approval process, which was also conducted in the public domain".