PART of a South Tawton bridleway is to be closed completely after more than seven years under dispute, Devon County Council has announced.

A spur of the bridleway, which runs between Moorgate and Blackerton Brook, crosses through the back garden of a house in South Tawton.

Initial attempts in 1997 to negotiate a diversion of the bridleway failed and an application to close the section passing through their grounds was launched by Dr and Mrs Thould in 1999.

The application was rejected by Devon County Council in September 2002 with the resolution that ?no order be made to delete any part of South Tawton Bridleway 57.?

But an appeal against that decision by the owners resulted in the Government Office South West last month ordering the county council to close the disputed pathway.

Mrs Thould said: ?It?s been a very difficult few years and we?ve found it very upsetting having a right of way through our back garden.

?This is good news though, and we?re encouraged by the government?s decision.?

Dartmoor National Park Authority gave no comment when told of the closure. But it did state its belief that the closure was ?more than likely to attract objections? which would result in the matter being referred back to the planning inspectorate.

One of these objections is likely to be raised by South Tawton Parish Council whose chairman, Bill Cann, said: ?The parish council?s view is that any closure to a right of way must be replaced with another.

?We will not accept a decision to do away with part of the bridleway unless we are being provided with a diversion that is suitable for people to use.?

The National Park Authority was in agreement with South Tawton Parish Council on that point, having taken the view that the bridleway provided a valuable link to areas of common land and moorland, but stated it was ?happy to pursue a diversion which would have taken the route out of the private garden?.

The authority also pointed out that the route of 1997?s abandoned diversion now crosses land which has been designated ?open country? on provisional maps published by the Countryside Agency.

Walkers might therefore expect the land to be open for public access, on foot, by the end of next year under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.