HISTORIC footpaths in the North West are ‘at risk of being lost forever’.

Any of the ‘serious backlog’ of historic paths not officially recorded as public rights of way by 2026 will be extinguished.

And a Paths in Crisis report by the Ramblers has revealed there are more than 4,000 paths waiting to be determined as legal rights of way in England. The organisation has launched the Don’t Lose Your Way campaign to help combat the problem by working to make the process of recording paths more efficient.

Ramblers’ chief executive Benedict Southworth said: “Our network of paths provide an important role connecting people to green spaces, allowing them to travel to shops and to schools and are enjoyed by millions.”