A Harrington woman has launched a bit to turn a path across private land into a right of way after a gate was erected, blocking access.

Enid Benson, 76, has applied to the county council to add the footpath between Grecian Terrace and Church Road as a public right of way. And she has presented petition with about 200 signatures to support her request.

It comes after the lane's owner Chris Hall, who is developing the former Station Hotel next to Mrs Benson's home into four houses, put up a gate at one end, blocking access from Church Road.

The council has confirmed that the lane, which runs behind her property, has been used by the public for over 60 years without challenge or permission.

Mrs Benson, who lives with husband John and son Paul Bateman, said: "I've lived in this house for 40 years but my grandmother lived two doors down, so I've always used that path since I was a child.

"It's a cut through and a lot of people who catch the train used it. A lot of parents who pick their children up from school park here and used the lane as a cut through when it was raining.

"I feel very strongly about it. Everybody used it."

But Mr Hall, 47, said the gate was needed for safety reasons.

He said: "The steps in that lane are quite steep, one of them is actually like stepping onto a table and some of them are unmade.

"There's no street lighting and it's simply not safe especially for children to use it.

"The people who have a right of way from the adjacent properties have a key to the gate and that is staying up.

"My property has been burgled twice and it hasn't happened since the gate has been there. I'm protecting my property and I am responsible for that lane.

"The property I'm developing is no longer a pub, it's a residential property and people who will live there will have no intention of having people walking about in front of their windows.

"I don't seem to benefit from that lane in any way shape or form. I've had to clean it up more than once because there were beer bottles, cans and syringes. I even found some underwear, people are using my lane as a toilet."

Workington Town Council said it was in favour of the lane being made a Public Right Of Way.

A county council spokesman said: "We are currently carrying out a consultation on the application which is due to close at the end of June. The council will then consider all submissions and decide if a legal order is to be made to add a public path to the definitive map, the legal record of public rights of way."