RIGHTS of way officers have been rapped by a Government ombudsman for failing to clear blocked bridleways in the Silsden and Addingham area.

Ombudsman Patricia Thomas found Bradford Council officers guilty of maladministation, and recommended the council pay £500 each to the two bridleway users who lodged complaints.

These date back to 1997 and concern the council's statutory duty to clear marked bridleways of obstructions and attempt to make any modifications to its map of footpaths and bridleways if asked to do so.

However, the ombudsman's report tells how the rights of way department spent more than two-and-a-half years carrying out a survey of the state of all footpaths and bridleways in Bradford and neglected work it had to do by law.

A senior rights of way officer estimated the survey would take six months and he and fellow officers have been criticised for failing to tell elected councillors about the delay.

"This long failure to report back to councillors was maladministation," says Mrs Thomas in her report. "Had the matter been brought to the attention of councillors as anticipated, it would have been clear that there were difficulties and that either additional resources or a review of the survey was required."

Councillors interviewed by the ombudsman said they were not aware that the rights of way department had set aside its statutory duties in favour of carrying out the survey. One said a report on the survey's progress only came after he had met with the complainants.

Lisa Norris, of the Silsden, Draughton and Addingham bridleways group, was one of the horse riders who complained to the ombudsman.

She said obstructed bridleways had illegal gates, stiles which horses could not get through and were knee deep in mud due to drainage problems.

"Bradford Council seem to be obstructive by their very nature," she said. "But at the end of the day, even though bridleways are only 10 per cent of the highways network, horse riders have nowhere else to go."

Commenting on the ombudsman's findings, a spokesman for Bradford Council said: "We have received the ombudsman's report. It will be considered by an appropriate committee in due course and the ombudsman informed of any action the council decides to take."

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