A BROMLEY Cross man has been appointed a new footpath watchdog - for Blackburn and Darwen.

Mr Ken West is the new Open Spaces officer and he will study all proposals to alter routes of paths and will oppose them unless there is a clear public benefit to the change.

Ken said: "I am delighted to be the eyes and ears of Open Spaces Society in Blackburn and Darwen. I have been campaigning for the public paths in Blackburn for the last 20 years and have had many battles with the council."

For the past six years he has fought to claim a well-used path in Belmont for the official path-map, which he won after a public inquiry.

General secretary of the Henley-based society, Kate Ashbrook, said: "Ken is just the sort of person we need to represent us."

Ken has also acted as a volunteer for the Turton Committee and the Civic Trust and the Peak and Northern footpaths Society. He is married with two children and works as a laboratory technician in the physics department at Bolton School Girls' Division.

Open Spaces is formerly the Commons, Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society and was founded in 1865 and is Britain's oldest conservation body. A BROMLEY Cross man has been appointed a new footpath watchdog - for Bolton and Darwen.

Mr Ken West is the new Open Spaces officer and he will study all proposals to alter routes of paths and ill oppose them unless there is a clear public benefit to the change..

Ken said: "I am delighted to be the yes and ears of Open Spaces Society in Blackburn and Darwen. I have been campaigning for the public paths in Blackburn for the last 20 years and have had many battles with the council."

For the past six years he has fought to claim a well-used path in Belmont for the official path-map, which he won after a public inquiry..

General secretary of the Henley-based society, Kate Ashbrook, said: "Ken is just the sort of person we need to represent us."

Ken has also acted as a volunteer for the Turton Committee and the Civic Trust and the Peak and Northern footpaths Society. He is married with two children and works as a laboratory technician in the physics department at Bolton School Girls' Division.

Open Spaces is formally the Commons, Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society and was founded in 1865 and is Britain's oldest conservation body.