George Montbiot and others use the scare of loss of freedom of the countryside, when public opinion is roused enough to suggest that travellers are the reason to strengthen in favour or the landowner. Yet there already is a strong circumstantial case for a criminal charge;
For England and Wales, dropping litter is a criminal offense under Section 87(1) of the EPA 1990, such that: 'A person is guilty of an offense if he throws down, drops or otherwise deposits any litter in any place to which this section applies and leaves it'.
Surely enough to warrant a police forensic investigation.
Question; If the law of trespass is strengthened in this manner, will the councils still be weak in using the new law against the very people who will have caused it to be introduced or will it just be used by landowners to keep law abiding people out of their countryside?
Is there a mitigating counter proposal, add a social responsibility to Freehold? So that those who occupy substantial parts of the countryside are required to learn and understand how their occupation affects the rest of society.
EG. Harry Cotterell, Landowner and past president of the CLA, who has a significant part of Offa's Dyke on his land, and yet it is 10 miles away from the Offa's Dyke Path and in a different country let alone county.