A Right to Roam Bill backed by Castle Point MP Christine Butler has been withdrawn after ministers promised to bring in a new law later this year.

Now the MP is urging the Government to find the necessary time to introduce a new Bill, claiming constituents share her concerns.

Gordon Prentice, the Labour MP for Pendle, stressed that the countryside was not the "personal fiefdom of the country landowners".

Mr Prentice, opening the second reading of his Bill, said: "Ramblers haven't poisoned the countryside with pesticides. We haven't polluted the watercourses.

"We haven't silenced the countryside as the birds have perished and we are not responsible for grubbing up the hedgerows."

But Tory MPs will try to scupper the new legislation by claiming the Right to Roam Bill represents a socialist measure.

He said: "It is based on one thing alone - that most evil of human traits: envy. Envy of private property, a belief that it should be available to everybody, that nobody should have the right to restrict access to it."

Environment minister Michael Meacher has already spoken to the Countryside Agency to start mapping right to roam areas as soon as possible and confirmed he was looking into introducing the right of access in stages.

Mrs Butler has said she hoped ministers would not delay in bringing in the legislation.

She said: "I think that many of my constituents would share my concern that parliamentary time is found as soon as possible to introduce a bill.

"I shall continue to urge ministers not to delay."

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