Richard Bridge: Check your facts. Almost all, certainly the majority, of damage to green roads is done by farmers and forestry vehicles - and almost all the repairs are done by recreational vehicular users.

Absolute bollocks! The green lanes I use are barely used at all by farmers or forestry vehicles. There are several in Yorkshire and Derbyshire that I use frequently. They've been fine since my teens until the last 10 years, when they've turned into absolute wrecks. And not due to a "vast increase" in farming and forestry!!!

Until about 10 years ago there were barely any vehicles on them at all. Now, almost every time I use one, there are convoys of 4 x 4 recreational users on them. Never seen any doing any "repairs", either. Or driving particularly slowly....they tend to go as fast as they think they can get away with without breaking something.

For people who want the challenge of off-road driving, there are loads of private tracks and circuits they can use without wrecking both the environment and the enjoyment of others.

Steve Shaw appears to have it right.