WALKERS using paths in a Darwen beauty spot are being injured as a result of poor maintainence, according to a friends’ group.

Denis Gillibrand, chair of the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood (FOSW), said a Mountain Rescue team had been called to a man with a broken leg on the North Path at the site situated off Earnsdale Road, and there had been other injuries elsewhere.

He said: “As a result of cut backs and all the financial restraints imposed by Blackburn with Darwern Council in staffing levels and materials and no onsite vehicle, we have seen a rapid deterioration in the drainage systems, paths and the general infrastructure of Sunnyhurst Wood.

“Both the North and South paths, and all the tributary paths are impassable in many places.”

He added: “We have had complaints from users and there have been injuries, and we can’t just leave it as it is.

“We work in partnership with the council and have a good relationship with them, but we get upset that in the winter months, the decisions by the council have led to deteriorations.”

Tony Watson, Head of Environmental services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the council’s maintenance team visited the wood a number of times every week to make checks.

He said: “The wood is a naturally steeply-sided valley and water runs off the sides of the surrounding fields onto the paths which causes the damage.

“It is basically impossible to stop due to the natural layout of the woods.

“These are environmental factors and due to our local climate they do cause some damage to the surrounding area.

However, our teams do their best to ease the results of these factors.”