PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice today withdrew his Private Members Bill to give walkers a statutory right to roam across four million acres of mountain and moorland, after the Government promised early legislation of its own on the issue.

Environment Minister Michael Meacher said he could not take over the Pendle Labour backbencher's proposals because he needed to frame wider and more complex legislation. But he promised rapid action to give ramblers a statutory right of access to open land. And he praised Mr Prentice for his putting the issue at the top of the political agenda.

Withdrawing his Bill, Mr Prentice said: "Tony Blair said 1999 is New Labour's year of delivery and now I want to see them deliver a statutory right to roam." Mr Prentice was backed by a new opinion poll which shows that three out of four voters back a right to roam.

Today's firm commitment represents a U-turn by the Government, which looked set to back-track on the issue, until Mr Prentice forced a change of heart earlier this year.

He told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "I am very relaxed about this. The Government will, hopefully, legislate in November covering wider issues such as wildlife.

"There is now no difference between my position and that of the Government. I am happy to withdraw by Bill in the knowledge that the Government is committed to early legislation."

However, farmers and land owners still oppose the proposal and the Government hopes to reform the House of Lords before bringing in the right to roam legislation for fear that landed interests could otherwise clog up the whole legislative programme in the upper chamber.

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