A TIMES reader has sent in photo of a public sign wich has recently been put up on a public path around Burrator Reservoir.

The 'Permissive Path' sign (left) caught the eye of Philip Hamilton while walking his dogs last week.

Phiip, from Yelverton, told the Times: 'I spotted the sign, which is on the north side of the reservoir in the woods and thought at first it must be a mistake. Permissive, in the old usage, such as in "permissive society" is probably not the message those who put up the sign wished to convey. I must admit when I saw the sign it made me smile!'

But South West Lakes Trust, which manages the land around Burrator Reservoir, put up the signage for public guidance.

Neil Reeves, conservation officer for the trust said: 'The sign is a waymarker at Burrator Reservoir near Yelverton. It conveys a liberal approach to access . . . and indicates that permission is given by the landowner, but there is no right of access.'

A permissive path is a path which the public are allowed to use, with the intention that it should not become a public right of way. Because it is not a public right of way, a permissive path is not, in general, subject to rights of way law.