WALKERS held a mass trespass at one of Dartmoor?s most popular landmarks on New Year?s Day, in protest at a decision to deny public access to the granite peak.

Around 30 people walked on and around Vixen Tor near Merrivale ? a privately owned tor which was closed to the public last spring by landowner Mary Alford, bringing to an end more than 30 years unhindered access under its previous owners.

Mrs Alford and her son Daniel closed the tor on advice from their insurers, who told the farmers they could be liable in the event of an injury occurring on the tor.

They have used yellow spraypaint on the granite wall around Vixen Tor, warning the public to stay out.

Jim Harrison of Tavistock, a keen climber who organised the New Year?s Day event, branded the closure as ?small-minded? and criticised the Alfords for ?vandalising the natural beauty? of the area with their home-made signs.

Nell Harrison, protest co-organiser, said: ?We were very happy with the way it went.

?Vixen Tor is such a popular, beautiful spot which has always been popular with walkers and amateur climbers, we just feel it?s very unfair to try and block it off. Most people who walk on the moor respect it and care for it as a place of beauty.

?We all get such therapeutic benefits from walking it seems mean-spirited to stop people from being there.?

She said no further protests were planned at present, but did not rule out similar action in future.

John Skinner of the Ramblers? Association said: ?This wasn?t organised by the Ramblers? Association, but having said that, we positively welcome the action these individuals took, because people have been going to Vixen Tor for donkey?s years, until May last year, and they should be allowed to continue going there.?

Mr Skinner said the reason given by the Alfords for closing off the tor was an ?absolute load of nonsense?. He said under the new Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CRoW), their liability, as little as it was, would be even further

reduced.

Mary Alford said she had ?no regrets? about closing off Vixen Tor.

?At this stage, I?ve got no choice,? she said.

?A small group of activists has obviously taken the law into their own hands. Vixen Tor is not open moorland, it is a traditional enclosed farm ? and I have had to spray no access signs on the wall because activists continually removed the previous signs that were there,? said Mrs Alford.

Dartmoor National Park Authority decided in July last year that it would not impose an order on the Alfords, which would force them to lift the ban on public access.

Vixen Tor is shown on new Countryside Agency maps as ?open country? and the authority is hoping the tor will be re-opened under the terms of the CRoW Act in 2005.

Last year, Mr Alford told the Times that an appeal would be lodged with the Countryside Agency in an effort to keep the public off the tor.

An attempt to buy Vixen Tor by Dartmoor Preservation Association failed last year.