Horse riders campaigning for more bridleways in the Colchester area rode into town and handed their plea to the mayor on the Town Hall steps.

Mayor Martin Hunt welcomed the riders and four horses this afternoon.

Antoinette Tubbs, chairman of the Colchester branch of the British Horse Society, said horse riders were not treated the same as cyclists and walkers.

She pointed out there are 1,120 miles of footpaths in the borough but only 15 miles of bridleways.

Mrs Tubbs said the 2,000 local riders were at risk every day from traffic as they were forced to ride on roads.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.