We were all deeply saddened to see the terrible story covered on ITV news of a horse rider in Wiltshire being killed in an accident on the road. If ever we needed a reminder of why we are campaigning for safer hacking, this was a brutal reality check. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all of those involved.

We are also aware of a letter sent to Your Harlow from a council volunteer about the barriers being vandalised and the insinuation that this was premeditated and planned by us. We want to put a direct message out to all of our supporters to reiterate, as we have done to Harlow council previously, that this was not us.

We do not condone vandalism on any level and would ask that if one of our supporters has done this in a misguided attempt to help us (or other marginalised groups who are also unable to access the woods) they please stop. The whole purpose of our petition and attempts to engage with the council is to find a peaceful and sustainable solution and acts like this really do not help us.

We hope that you managed to tune in and hear a couple of our group discuss road riding on BBC Essex, it was a shame the council opted not to attend and instead gave a cut an paste statement. If you want to listen to the broadcast and hear their statement in full we were on from 8-9am

Please keep sharing, we are only 8 away from 1500 signatures and our plight is definitely being noticed more widely as a result of every share.

Thank you for continuing to support us