A LEGAL victory to halt the craze of off-road vehicles churning up fragile 'green lanes' in the countryside is unlikely to reduce the problem in North Yorkshire.

Environmental campaigners are celebrating the landmark decision in the High Court to ban 4x4 vehicles and off-road motorcyclists from using public rights of way, known as RUPPs; Roads Used as Public Paths.

The North Yorkshire Moors, with its 500kms of Green Lanes, have long been a playground for such sport - and fragile routes have been damaged as a result.

However, the ruling will only apply on one former RUPP in the North Yorkshire Moors, as the other five have been re-classified as suitable for vehicles and so are not covered by the legal ruling.

The county council has already taken action to stop vehicles from using some routes across the Moors. Traffic restriction orders already exist between Hawnby and Fangdale Beck and on the Hambleton Drove road near Kepwick. An emergency order is also in place at Monket bank and Beadlam Rigg, Kirkbymoorside.

A trail of damage was caused last November when a group of Dutch off-road drivers came to the Moors for a holiday, guided by local people.

Alan Burns, maintenance manager with North Yorkshire County Council's highways department, said the council had received a letter of apology from the Dutch group about the damage caused.

David Brewster, head of park services for the North York Moors National Park Authority, said it had good relationships with most of the off-road clubs who used the Moors.

He said he worked closely with the county council to make sure serious damage did not happen to green lanes.

He said: "We have a working relationship with some clubs and they behave responsibly."

However he said the growing popularity of off-road vehicles meant in the future the park authority would have to "look very carefully at what these routes can sustain."

Andy Dunlop, of the Green Lane Environmental Action Group, said the High Court decision meant off-road drivers now had to prove the Green Lanes they used were vehicular highways prior to 1930.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.