Residents in Lea Bridge packed a meeting of Lea and Holloway Parish Council after a high, spiked, electric gate was installed blocking a historical track.

The privately-owned path, off Mill Lane, is a favourite with dog walkers and families – and residents claim it has been used as an access route for over 100 years.

People are now filling in rights of way applications to get the path marked on the council's definitive map.

Resident Peter South said he was confronted with the electric barricade which is operated by a metal key pad, when out walking his dog.

He added: "It is really over the top. I'm a regular dog walker and have been using this path for at least 20 years.

"At least 100 people must be unhappy about this."

Neighbour Sue Bolton, said the track was ideal for elderly and disabled people.

She added: "It beggars belief that, as I see it, a school playground scenario has caused so much distress and upheaval.

"Everybody is very angry. We are blessed to live in an area like this, a lot of people have never seen countryside and it is not as if we are going through his garden or there is excessive noise."

But Graham Bowmer, who owns the path, said more people had been using the route over the past few months and the gates would only be opened to people having legal rights of way.

He added: "A lot of people have been taking a short cut between the public footpaths. The trouble is the public footpaths have not been properly sign posted.

"Another development over the last year is that it is beginning to become used as a cycle track and by horse riders. The only way to control it has been to maintain it."

County councillor Chris Jackson said the council was sympathetic to countryside access problems.

He added: "There are two sides of the coin and we want to bring them together and achieve an agreement which is acceptable to everybody."